The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has launched its first climate change policy, outlining a set of actions to help the State reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Chief Executive of EPA, Tony Chappel said the Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2023-26 provided a roadmap for how the Authority would address the causes and consequences of climate change.
“This Plan means for the first time in Australia, there will be a comprehensive approach around emissions reduction pathways,” Mr Chappel said.
“Using our robust framework, we will treat greenhouse gas emissions like any other pollutant that we regulate and by doing so, support the decarbonisation, transformation and growth of the NSW economy,” he said.
“In every corner of the State, we are already feeling the very real, costly and devastating impacts of climate change.
“From unprecedented fires through to recent extensive flood events across regional NSW, each of these disasters is a sobering reminder of the escalating consequences of rising greenhouse emissions.”
Mr Chappel said that crucial to the success of the plan would be a collaborative, staged and systematic approach to ensure actions were evidence-based and Government programs were joined-up.
He said it was also important to allow industry sufficient time to adjust to any sector-based emission reduction targets and enforceable licence limits.
“As we operationalise climate policy across the economy, the EPA will establish advisory groups for various industry sectors to help inform and co-design actions and subsequent targets,” the CEO said.
The NSW EPA’s 35-page Policy can be accessed at this PS News link and the 70-page Action Plan at this link.
