Enhancing policy to manage and minimise Australian greenhouse emissions

Full text: The development of climate change policy in Australia is at an important stage in its evolution. Australia, as a ratifying nation of 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, has obligations as a party including development and implementation of national policy. In 2004, Australia announced a Climate Change Strategy updating the 1997 National Greenhouse Strategy which set out the framework for a coordinated and collaborative approach by all levels of government in Australia. The 2004 Climate Change Strategy is directed toward the achievement of three overarching goals: 'international engagement - pursuing an effective global response to climate change', 'emissions management...', and 'providing the foundations for Australia's climate change response...'. Despite not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, Australia has committed to informally meet its 108% Kyoto Protocol target by taking on the role of an 'as if Party. Development and implementation a broad range of greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies, policies and programs, at the Commonwealth, state and territory, and local government levels, has occurred. Notably, the recent 2007-08 Australian Government Budget brought its total commitment to its climate change strategy to A$2.8 billion. Combined government action and industry investment in climate change mitigation via implementation of greenhouse gas emission reduction schemes are thus well underway. The Commonwealth's programs for greenhouse emission reduction are significant, and in particular, the Greenhouse Challenge Plus program certainly is a key industry motivator. Both state and local government actions have been drivers in policy development, supporting reduction of greenhouse emissions. Several states have implemented their own climate change strategies and the states have been proactive in their interest in emissions trading. Local councils' roles, in particular, have been and will increase in significance in the future in relation to implementing planning regulation and in providing education focusing on improved management practices for individual businesses, industries and households. The paper will discuss aspects of current policy that arguably need further enhancement, including: incorporating greenhouse emissions into the Commonwealth EPBC Act, as a controlled action under Part 3 Div. 1 of the Act requiring environment impact assessment, which was proposed in 2000 but awaits implementation; and further support for industry's emissions' reporting accuracy and verification capabilities in the light of the Australian industry's potential involvement in emissions trading