Is the introduction of new climate change legislation a positive change? Or will the established targets be ineffective?
By Valentina Muoio
As we all begin to experience the effects of climate change through increased bushfires, floods, and changing weather patterns, the need to address climate change has become more urgent than ever. One way this can be done is through legislative action to enforce more sustainable ways of conducting activities, such as switching to renewable energy rather than traditional electricity methods that require burning coal. Relevantly, the Climate Change Act 2022 (Cth) was passed by Parliament in September this year. This legislation is significant in not only legislating Australia’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (‘GHG’) emissions but also in holding to current and future governments accountable to commit to the reduction of GHG for a cleaner and sustainable future. Additionally, this legislation is a step in the right direction and has the potential to incentivise environmentally sustainable renewable energy methods for various industries, and is a step towards addressing the long-term effects of climate change.
A fundamental purpose of the proposed legislation is that it builds upon the foundations for Australia’s new Nationally Determined Contributions (‘NDC’s’) that were published in June 2022. The new NDC’s include, a forty-three percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2030, and the attainment of net-zero by 2050. Whilst Australia has obligations under the Paris Agreement, these NDC’s are significant in ensuring Australia’s domestic regulatory policies are in line with International recommendations. Moreover, the current NDC’s also reflect the clear social shift in attitude in recent years towards climate change, where there is a growing need for Governmental action to address the worsening climate change issue. Relevantly, through the creation of the Climate Change Act 2022 it is clear that climate change is no longer just a political issue, but is an issue that requires the input from various different governmental sectors in order to provide a balanced framework.
Whilst the Climate Change Act 2022 has been described by politicians as ‘providing forward momentum for ambitious but achievable climate action’, climate scientists suggest that the 2030 target of a forty-three percent reduction below 2005 levels is not sufficient enough to achieve net-zero by 2050, and a fifty percent reduction is necessary. However, a fifty percent target is ambitious which could render legislation merely symbolic rather than functional. There is also an associated concern as to how such a target can be achieved. If a fifty percent reduction target is on the table, this may require Governmental sector to provide a detailed plan of how they will be contributing to the reduction, for example, the education sector could enforce that all schools throughout Australia have LED lighting. Evidently, this highlights why a collaborative approach is needed to address climate change, and in achieving a sustainable future.