Climate trigger ‘ruled out’ of Labor’s re-write of environmental laws, says Murray Watt

Caitlyn Rintoul
The West Australian
Environment Minister Murray Watt made the revelation after repeated questioning during Senate Estimates on Tuesday.
Environment Minister Murray Watt made the revelation after repeated questioning during Senate Estimates on Tuesday. Credit: Sarah Marshall/News Corp Australia

Murray Watt has explicitly ruled out the use of a “climate trigger” in Australia’s reworked environmental laws — allaying fears it could kill off any new major resources projects.

Activists have long called for the legal mechanism to be added to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to specifically protect from the wider effects of climate change.

As it stands the Federal Government is obliged to step in and assess new projects that are deemed to have impacts on “matters of national environmental significance” — but climate change does not fall under that remit.

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Federal Minister for the Environment Murray Watt has ruled out a climate trigger in the re-write of environmental laws.
Federal Minister for the Environment Murray Watt has ruled out a climate trigger in the re-write of environmental laws. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper/The West Australian

It means that projects with a large carbon footprint are not automatically referred.

Speaking in the Senate on Tuesday the environment minister said he was “happy to rule out” a climate trigger pointing instead to the existing Safeguard Mechanism as an effective way of controlling emissions.

That mechanism already forces heavy industry to curb emissions to help meet government targets.

“We’re leaning towards following Graeme Samuel’s recommendation, which is that proponents should disclose ... emissions of their proposed project, and they should present an abatement plan — but that we’re not leaning towards going beyond that,” Senator Watt said.

Mr Samuel’s review of existing environmental laws — brought in 1999 — had been commissioned when Liberal leader Sussan Ley was then-environment minister under the Morrison government.

The Samuel Review made 38 recommendations, sparking last year’s much derided Nature Positive Plan.

Professor Graeme Samuel, who reviewed existing environmental laws, with Environmental Minister Murray Watt.
Professor Graeme Samuel, who reviewed existing environmental laws, with Environmental Minister Murray Watt. Credit: Facebook

Anthony Albanese and portfolio predecessor Tanya Plibersek had ruled out a climate trigger as part of the now-ditched Nature Positive laws but it remained unclear if it could be resurrected under the amended bill.

Last year, during a senate inquiry into Nature Positive, former Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia chief executive Rebecca Tomkinson warned about the economic ramifications of a climate trigger.

“Depending on that design, a climate trigger could be a pseudo ban on development across Australia,” she said.

Association of Mining and Exploration Companies chief executive Warren Pearce added the introduction of such a trigger would be ironic.

“The irony ... is that we will be jeopardising our ability to develop the mineral projects we need for the energy transition, due to more odious requirements and further delays placed on projects trying to get off the ground,” he said.

But any hopes of a climate trigger were killed off on Tuesday as Senator Watt admitted in Senate Estimates; “I’m happy to rule it out” after repeated questioning by Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam.

“I would say it is unlikely. Again, we haven’t reached a final position on that,” Senator Watt said.

“I cannot see the Government agreeing to a climate trigger.”

“It’s very unlikely, and that remains my view.”

The revised Act is scheduled to be considered in Parliament by the end of the year.

Originally published on The West Australian

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