Progress with our Climate Change Action Plan

We are preparing the 2024 State of the Environment Report, which will include information on the causes and consequences of climate change in NSW and the NSW Government’s response. We released the previous State of the Environment Report in 2021.

In progress

1

We helped establish and continue to engage with the Heads of EPA Australia and New Zealand (HEPA) forum on climate change regulatory approaches.

We Chair the HEPA Climate Change Community of Practice, which is a forum to improve national collaboration and harmonisation of key actions like emission targets and limits, and alignment with the Commonwealth’s Safeguard Mechanism.

Complete, ongoing

2

We have established a Climate Change Policy and Action Plan Project Partnership Steering Group with the Office of Energy and Climate Change; and continue to participate with a range of other cross-Government steering committees and working groups. These committees and groups help us to track progress, align priorities, reduce duplication, and harness opportunities for collaboration.

Complete, ongoing

2

We are providing iterative advice to the Commonwealth Government’s Safeguard Mechanism reforms which aim to reduce emissions at Australia’s largest industrial facilities. We are working with other states and territories on how our climate change actions can align with and complement the Commonwealth reforms, while seeking to align with each other where appropriate.

Complete, ongoing

2

We have provided presentations and updates on the EPA’s regulatory approach to climate change to the Australasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulators neTwork (AELERT).

Complete

2

We have prepared the EPA’s first Climate Change Horizon Scan (2022), to help us keep abreast of emerging issues, trends, risks and opportunities surrounding the issue of climate change and the transition to a decarbonised economy. Our 2023 Horizon Scan is in progress.

Complete

3

We have established Climate Change Industry Advisory Groups for the mining and agriculture sectors, to ensure industry and other stakeholders are well-consulted in the delivery of our action plan. The mining and agriculture groups first met in December 2023 and will meet at least twice a year. Read our media release.

Complete, ongoing

5(a), 5(b), 16, 17, 24 (and others)

We have surveyed over 2,000 environment protection licensees so we can better understand their emissions, risks, climate change actions and where support or regulatory interventions may be needed. The results of the survey will inform the development and implementation of many of the other actions under our action plan. We are analysing the information and preparing a report on our general findings.

Complete

5(a), 5(b), 5(c), 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24

We released guidelines to support the EPA's new role in ensuring firming infrastructure operators in NSW meet their greenhouse gas emissions intensity obligations.

We have been working collaboratively with the Office of Energy and Climate Change, Australian Energy Marker Operator and the Consumer Trustee to prepare for our role and to ensure that we can undertake it effectively and transparently.

Complete

4, 5(c)

We are working to develop climate change assessment requirements and guidance to support proponents to adequately consider climate change through the environmental impact assessment process and develop climate change mitigation and adaptation plans.

Our initial focus is on greenhouse gas mitigation, and once these components are more progressed, we’ll be expanding our focus to better address climate change adaptation.

We have already started applying interim climate change assessment requirements to large emitting projects, and we have released a fact sheet to inform proponents for the activities we regulate.

In progress – due for completion (ongoing) by end of 2023

4, 5, 5(b), 5(c), 17

We are developing a Protection of the Environment Policy for Sustainable Construction, to help to reduce embodied emissions in public infrastructure and to promote the use of recycled materials in infrastructure projects in NSW.

In progress

5(c), 10

We are establishing the EPA’s Aboriginal People’s Knowledge Group to embed the input and perspectives of Aboriginal people into our work. Climate change will be an early area of focus for this group.

In progress

6

We have engaged with the EPA’s Environment Youth Advisory Council on our climate change policy and action plan. Members gave feedback at a dedicated climate change workshop during their November 2022 meeting. Their suggestions for ways our action plan can best engage the community and licensees included social media messaging and monitoring industry.

Complete, ongoing

7

We released EPA’s first Climate Change Impacts, Risks and Adaptation Statement and are progressing our goal to become a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030.

Complete, ongoing

8, 15

We are preparing an update on our progress with the implementation of our action plan for our EPA Annual Report 2022-23. We have also developed this webpage to provide more regular updates to the community.

Complete, ongoing

9

We have awarded $6.2 million to 10 projects run by councils as part of round 1 of the Go FOGO grants. The grants support NSW councils to deliver new weekly food only or food organics and garden organics collection services to their communities.

Complete, ongoing

10

We have awarded $6 million to 14 projects to businesses in Round 5 of the Bin Trim Networks Program. The projects will support around 4,000 businesses to reduce waste by 35,000 tonnes per year.

Complete, ongoing

10

We have established the EPA’s 2023 Sustainability Partnerships. We are partnering with 6 organisations who aim to drive sustainable behaviour change in their fields.

Complete

12

We are working with experts to improve how greenhouse gas emissions are measured, monitored, and independently and transparently verified (especially fugitive methane emissions).

We are trialling new methane measurement and monitoring techniques with the University of New South Wales to support more accurate assessment and verification of methane emissions from licenced facilities.

In progress

14, 19

We are currently developing a practical policy for applying greenhouse gas emission limits and other requirements on licences, following development approval.

In progress

18

We are continuing to deliver flood clean-up programs to remove eligible flood debris from impacted areas. We are monitoring water quality and supporting councils, communities and the environment to recover from flood disasters.

In progress

20

We updated the NSW Disaster Waste Sub Plan to reflect lessons learned from recent biosecurity, flood, and bushfire responses, including the influence of climate change on disaster waste management.