ESG Snapshot: Issue 66
This week's highlights include:
- Planning bills. New planning bills are before the NSW and Tasmanian parliaments.
- Long-term goal. NSW will legislate a new long-duration storage target.
- WA's emissions handball. Large projects in WA subject to the Safeguard Mechanism will no longer have their emissions regulated by state processes.
- Pivotal role. Victoria's SEC expects to support the deployment of 20% of the 25GW of new renewables and storage needed in the state by 2035.
- Modern slavery. The NSW Parliament has instigated an inquiry into modern slavery risks faced by temporary migrant workers in rural and regional areas.
- Biodiversity credits. Accounting for Nature has become the independent administrator of the NaturePlus Standard.
- New events include a Professor Ross Garnaut briefing, and an InfluenceMap webinar on corporate climate policy engagement in Australia.
- International news includes a podcast interview with Susan Brown on how international sustainability negotiations are evolving.
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Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Treaties has recommended ratification of the High Seas Treaty, which address gaps in marine biodiversity conservation in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Committee Chair Lisa Chesters said Australia has been a long-time advocate for the agreement and played an influential role in its negotiation.
"Being an early ratifier will ensure that Australia can continue to influence decisions relating to the agreement’s implementation and will subsequently enhance global environmental action," Chester said.
Shadow climate minister Ted O'Brien has announced a Coalition government would amend the Capacity Investment Scheme so that it can support new gas projects.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek last Friday chaired a meeting of Australian and New Zealand environment ministers to help prepare and protect against bird flu.
Meanwhile, the federal government has allocated an additional $95 million to prepare the nation against bird flu.
A total of $37 million will be allocated to initiatives to protect Australian agriculture, and $35.9 million will be invested to boost environmental measures and accelerate protective action for threatened species and priority biodiversity.
Another $22.1 million will go towards strengthening public health preparedness.
The government has established a Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Estimation and Reporting Standards Reference Group, which will provide guidance and advice to support the development of standards for agriculture, and the incorporation of the standards into GHG calculators and accounting tools.
Members include representatives of various agricultural organisations and agencies, agriculture value chain businesses, and First Nations groups.
Consultation opportunity - energy efficiency. DCCEEW is inviting views on a Regulation Impact Statement on a proposal to impose stricter GEMS energy efficiency requirements on distribution transformers.
Distribution transformers are components of the electricity grid. They typically lose less than 2% of the energy that passes through them, but as they are energised 24 hours a day, even small increases in efficiency result in large electricity savings.
The existing performance requirements for distribution transformers have not been revised since 2004. Comments are due by 6 December.
The Greens have called for the introduction of a National Repairability Star Rating label system.
The federal government will provide $5 million to Australian Strategic Materials Limited (ASM), to cover half the cost of a study that will investigate more efficient ways of refining rare earths.
The new $5 million grant to help develop ASM's proposed rare earths project in Dubbo is on top of a $6.5m grant provided to ASM last year through the Critical Minerals Development Program.
ASM has also received a non-binding Letter of Interest from the US Export-Import Bank for up to US$600 million, and Export Finance Australia has previously provided a letter of support for $200 million in debt funding.
The Dubbo project will produce critical minerals such as zirconium, niobium and hafnium, as well as a number of rare earth elements.
Consultation opportunity - the National Electricity Law. DCCEEW has released a consultation paper on a proposal to the National Electricity Law to better enable the Australian Energy Market Operator to support administration of the tenders for the Capacity Investment Scheme.
Initial submissions are now available to a Senate select committee inquiry into energy planning:
- Professor Bruce Mountain says there is no need for an Integrated System Plan, criticises the Australian Energy Market Operator, and says transmission planning should be an issue for the states.
- The Australian Energy Council says AEMO should include in its ISP modelling a scenario "of what it thinks is likely", which would be a baseline that other scenarios can be compared with.
Accounting for Nature, the Australia-based environmental accounting framework and certification, has added the biodiversity credits NaturePlus standard to its portfolio of product offerings, and will become its independent administrator.
AfN has acquired the credit issuance standard from its developer, GreenCollar, and will now conduct pilot testing to refine it and ensure it has global applicability.
The NaturePlus standard will enable project developers to issue credits without having to establish their own standards, "providing a clear and streamlined pathway to market", AfN said.
The federal government has announced 13 new carbon farming capacity-building grants.
The GEMS energy standards and labelling scheme is conducting a stakeholder satisfaction survey.
Winners of the 2024 Australian Resource Recovery Awards are:
- Re.Cycle, which received the resource recovery facility award for its Sunshine Coast MRF. The facility is achieving market-leading purity levels for plastic sorting of up to 98%.
- Port Pirie Regional Council, which received the innovation award for its transition to a weekly FOGO collection, resulting in its kerbside diversion rate jump from an average of 46% to 67%, and landfill volumes falling by 38%.
Transcript is now available from a recent hearing of a Senate select committee inquiry into the impact of climate risk on insurance premiums.
Satellite observations of methane emissions from 20 Australian methane hotspots suggests their emissions may be around double what they are currently reporting through NGER.
The data has prompted the Superpower Institute to call for an urgent overhaul of how methane is reported and accounted for in Australia.
Open consultations:
- Hazardous chemicals. DCCEEW has released proposed IChEMS standards on internationally recognised chemicals of concern and lower-concern chemicals, and proposed variations to existing standards. Comments are due by 25 October.
- Environmentally sustainable procurement. DCCEEW has released discussion papers on a proposed expansion of the federal environmentally sustainable procurement policy. From mid-2025, the policy will also apply to furniture, fittings and equipment, textiles, and ICT goods.
- Minimising packaging waste. DCCEEW has released a consultation paper on reforming packaging regulation, with comments due by 28 October.
- Earning biodiversity certificates. The federal government's advisory Nature Repair Committee has released its proposed inaugural method for earning biodiversity certificates under the Nature Repair Act 2023, and a proposed biodiversity assessment instrument.Comments are due by 30 October.
- Carbon market infrastructure. The Clean Energy Regulator is seeking feedback on its proposed exchange trading model for ACCUs, and its proposed new units and certificates registry. Comments are due by 22 November.
- PFAS. Submissions to a Senate select committee inquiry into PFAS are due by 19 December.
Award opportunity. Nominations are now being accepted for the 36th annual Banksia sustainability awards. Entries must be submitted by 6 December.
A new state government research study highlights the capacity of gully rehabilitation works to quickly reduce sediment discharges into Great Barrier Reef catchments, by more than 80%.
However, the study also highlights the need to consider rehabilitation strategies that take into account the potential for increased bioavailable nitrogen.
Consultation opportunity - coastal management. The state government has released a draft of a new Coastal Management Plan. Comments are due by 27 November.
Statutory development - planning approval. The state government has introduced the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (State Significant Development) Bill, "which makes necessary and urgent amendments to support the efficient and orderly assessment and progression of essential development and infrastructure," according to Planning Minister Paul Scully.
The bill responds to a recent NSW Court of Appeal decision, and will make it explicit that assessments of state significant developments don't need to assess offsite enabling infrastructure, such as transmission lines.
Parliament's modern slavery joint committee has instigated an inquiry into modern slavery risks faced by temporary migrant workers in rural and regional NSW, following concerns raised by the state's Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
The state government will defer royalties up to $250 million to improve cashflow and investment feasibility for new critical minerals projects.
The royalties deferral scheme is one of several measures outlined in a new NSW critical minerals and high-tech metals strategy.
Statutory development - long-duration storage. The state government has pledged to legislate a new minimum objective for the construction of 28 GWh of long-duration storage by 2034.
The pledge, which builds on an existing objective of 2GW/16GWh long-duration storage by 2030, is made in a new Long Duration Storage Review: Position Paper.
The state government has placed on exhibition Winterbourne Wind's proposal for a 700MW wind farm near Walcha.
The state government has requested the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer to convene an expert panel toprovide independent scientific advice and
expertise on the development and delivery of koala conservation work in NSW.
Detailed maps are now available showing the 19 highway upgrades that will improve connections between the Port of Newcastle and the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone.
ARENA is providing a total of $5.4 million for a project that will electrify 500 north Illawarra households. Brighte will be the project lead, with Rewiring Australia as the research partner, and Endeavour Energy as the network partner.
Open consultations:
- Problematic plastics. Comments on an EPA draft action plan on plastics are due by 4 November.
By 2035, Victoria is forecast to need 25GW of new renewable energy and storage capacity, says a new SEC Infrastructure annual report.
"By partnering with industry, we expect to contribute around 4.5GW of new capacity, which is approximately 20% of the total new generation and storage capacity Victoria is expected to require by 2035," it says.
"This includes distributed solar and batteries as well as all committed, and future utility-scale projects.
The state government has launched a Carbon farming outreach program, which will deliver more than 130 training events over two years.
The training will be delivered by Agriculture Victoria, Victoria's Catchment Management Authorities, Melbourne Water, and Landcare Victoria.
The state government has gazetted the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment (Induction Cooktops and Co-payments) Regulations 2024, which allow the VEU energy efficiency scheme to support the installation of induction cooktops.
Open consultations:
- Organic waste. The EPA is consulting on a proposed guideline for organic waste processing facilities. Comments are due by 25 October.
Statutory development - planning permits. The state government has introduced a Land Use Planning and Approvals Amendment (Supporting Development) Bill.
The Bill will allow the Minister to approve a one-off, two-year extension to the initial time limit specified in a planning permit for commencing complex or technical projects.
Statutory development - emissions and renewables targets. The Legislative Assembly has passed the Greenhouse Emissions Reduction (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill.
The Bill is now before the Legislative Council.
Neoen has made an EPBC referral for its Goyder North renewable energy stage 1 project. The project would comprise a 600MW wind farm and a 225MW/900MWh Battery Energy Storage System.
Green Industries SA's latest Circular Economy Resource Recovery and Kerbside Waste Performance reports are now available.
Open consultations:
- Container deposits. Comments are due by 25 October on a draft Environment Protection (Beverage Container Deposit Scheme) Amendment Bill 2024.
- Water quality. The EPA is reviewing the state's Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy, which dates from 2015. Comments are due by 9 December.
- Waste to resources. The EPA has launched a review of the state's Environment Protection (Waste to Resources) Policy, which dates from 2010. Comments are due by 20 December.
A revised state government greenhouse gas policy for major projects will result in the emissions from these projects only being regulated through the federal Safeguard Mechanism.
State ministerial statements that specify approval conditions for existing major projects will be amended to ensure they also only have their greenhouse gas emissions regulated through the Safeguard Mechanism.
The state government has released an accompanying information sheet on the changes.
On the recommendation of the WA Appeals Convenor, Environment Minister Reece Whitby has imposed tougher odour control licence requirements oVeolia's Bibra Lake recycling facility.
A neighbouring business, WA Limestone Pty Ltd, appealed against the original odour requirements for the expanded operation, which had significantly boosted the amount of FOGO and other waste that the facility can accept.
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The company also surpassed its goal of including 10% post-consumer recycled plastic one year ahead of schedule.
The group says the repeated use of the "vague and broad term 'sustainability' is incongruous with its current and likely future emissions, and the term "fly carbon neutral" is likely to mislead.
It also says Qantas has not disclosed a science-aligned, credible methodology to substantiate alignment with its stated commitment to the Paris Agreement, and that the airline's emissions reduction measures are insufficient to achieve its net zero targets.
The statement also calls for the transparent disclosure of project climate emissions.
The statement, particular its call for emissions disclosure, has prompted the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility to re-engage with the company. ACCR broke off its engagement with Rio Tinto several months ago, after it emerged that the company had lobbied against EPBC emissions disclosure requirements.
More than 40 climate scientists working have written an open letter to the Nordic Council of Ministers warning that a string of recent scientific studies indicate a serious risk of a major ocean circulation change in the Atlantic.
Climate Action 100+, the world’s largest investor engagement initiative on climate change, has released its latest round of company assessments.
Incoming UNDP assistant administrator, Susan Brown, gives her personal reflections on how international sustainability negotiations are evolving, in a new Track Changes podcast from Earthed.
The European Commission, at a meeting of its Environment Council, has finalised its negotiating mandates for the upcoming COP29 Climate Conference, the COP16 Biodiversity Conference, and the COP16 Desertification Conference.
EU environment ministers also exchanged views in preparation for the fifth negotiating session for an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty.
Regional conflicts and geopolitical strains are making clear the need for stronger policies and greater investments to accelerate the transition to cleaner and more secure technologies, according to the International Energy Agency's new World Energy Outlook 2024.
Based on current policy settings, the report finds that low-emissions sources are set to generate more than half of the world’s electricity before 2030 – and demand for all three fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – is still projected to peak by the end of the decade.
"Clean energy is entering the energy system at an unprecedented rate, but deployment is far from uniform across technologies and markets," the IEA says.
Six European countries - France, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland - have jointly urged the European Commission to establish an appropriate regulatory framework for cross-border CO₂ transport infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Danish Energy Agency has published details of a new tendering procedure which will be used to grant DKK 28.7 billion (USD 4.2 billion) to CCS.
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