ESG Snapshot: Issue 75

This week's highlights include:

• Working together. The ACCC has released guidance on how companies can cooperate on sustainability without breaching competition law.
• More plastic waste. The recovery rate for plastics has decreased slightly, and the amount of plastic waste has increased significantly, new data shows.
• More ACCU information. A newly gazetted regulation will ensure more information is made public on ACCU scheme projects.
• CCS referral. Woodside has lodged an EPBC referral for its proposed Browse CCS project.
• Rethinking coal mine methane. The government's ACCU integrity body is seeking views on whether the scope of a coal mine methane method should be expanded to include open-cut operations, if the method is remade.
• Taking flight. ARENA has provided grants to Ampol and GrainCorp, as part of efforts to support the development of a sustainable aviation fuel industry.
• Infrastructure spending shift. Infrastructure Australia says investment is shifting from major transport projects to housing and net zero.
• Supply and demand. Geelong Port is a supply chain partner for one wind farm, and a key customer for another wind project, says its latest sustainability report (company news).
• New seminars. New listings include events a seminar on electrifying industrial heat, offshore wind, a climate change essentials course, and clean energy summits (event listings).

ESG Snapshot - powered by the Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia and curated by ESG communications and content consultancy Earthed.

This first issue for 2025 is focused on national developments. Next week's issue will cover states and territories. Each subsequent issue will cover national, state and territory developments. All issues contain key international news.

The federal government has released national waste and resource recovery data for FY23. Trends since the previous FY21 report include:

• Total waste generated has increased by 0.9% to 76 mega tonnes, however waste generation per capita has reduced by 1.8%.
• The total amount of waste recycled and reused has increased by 5.6%, and waste recycled and reused per capita has increased by 2.8%.
• The recovery rate of organics has risen to 62%, an increase of 1.4 percentage points, and organic waste generation per capita has decreased by 7.4%.
• We are producing more plastic waste and recovering less. The recovery rate of plastics was 12.5%, a decrease of 0.4%. Plastic waste generated has increased 14.5% in total tonnes and has increased 11.6% per capita. 

The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) last month released its FY23 Australian Packaging Consumption and Recovery Data Report, which examines performance against 2025 packaging waste targets launched by environment ministers in 2018. The report shows:

• Target 1: 100% of all packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable. Result: The proportion of recyclable packaging increased from 84% to 86%.   
• Target 2: 70% of plastic packaging being recycled or composted. Result: The plastic recycling rate decreased from 20% to 19%.  
• Target 3: 50% of average post-consumer recycled content included in packaging. Result: The average recycled content increased from 40% to 44%. 
• Target 4: The phase-out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging.  Result: This has been reduced to 40% below the FY18 baseline. 

The federal government has launched a revamped online Platform for Land and Nature Repair (PLANR).

PLANR aims to help landholders plan and monetise biodiversity and carbon projects, and help corporate and/or philanthropic organisations to voluntarily buy biodiversity services to support their organisational goals.

The federal government has gazetted the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Amendment (2024 Measures No. 2) Rules 2024, which amend the CFI Rule.  

As a result of the changes, additional information about ACCU projects will be released by the Clean Energy Regulator. This includes:

• more detail of project activities for all projects under all methods.
• a description of any suppression mechanisms identified and removals of suppressors relating to a project. 
• a description of the type of estimation approach used. 
• project crediting period start and end dates, the project permanence start date, and the start date for the chosen tool or modelling approach used to calculate abatement for each project's carbon estimation area (CEA).
• a published link in the Project Register to any enforceable undertakings.
• the names of all agents who are significantly involved in a project's registration or administration. 

Consultation opportunity - carbon credits from capturing coal mine waste gas. The Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee has released a consultation paper on the ACCU Scheme Coal Mine Waste Gas Method, which dates from 2015 and is due to sunset this year.

Since the CMWG method was made in February 2015, 26 projects have been registered, but 11 of these have been revoked. As of November 2024, there are 15 projects that have not been revoked, and these have generated 2.8 million ACCUs.

The Committee is investigating whether the method should be remade. Currently the method only encompasses underground mines, but the committee has invited information on extending it to include open-cut mines. Comments are due by 27 January.

Infrastructure Australia's 2024 Infrastructure Market Capacity Report shows the nation's $213 billion five-year Major Public Infrastructure Pipeline - representing nearly a quarter of the country’s total $1.08 trillion of construction activity - is growing across energy and social infrastructure projects.

Investment in major transport projects has dropped, after a decade-long boom, and investment in buildings and utilities has grown to $71 billion and $16 billion respectively.

The recalibration is due to a shift in focus towards housing and net zero.

Infrastructure Australia projects that there will be a six-fold increase in renewable energy projects across all construction activity in Australia over the next five years.

The final report of a Senate committee inquiry into energy planning and regulation is now available. The report includes a dissenting report by Labor senators, and separate additional comments by Senator Matt Canavan, and Senator David Pocock.

A Senate committee inquiry into the Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill is due to report by 30 January, with submissions to the inquiry now available.

A House of Representatives inquiry into nuclear energy has released transcript from its December 16 and 17 public hearings.

Consultation opportunity - soft plastics. The ACCC is proposing to grant authorisation to Coles, Woolworths and ALDI to continue their collaboration to recycle stockpiled soft plastics, and continue with a pilot in-store collection program until 31 July 2026.

The ACCC first authorised the collaboration in mid-2023, following the collapse of REDcycle, which operated a soft plastics collection and recycling program. But this interim authorisation was due to expire, even though the majority of the stockpiled plastic hasn't yet been processed.

The ACCC is currently seeking feedback on its proposed extended authorisation, with comments due by 24 January.

The ACCC has released its final guide on sustainability collaborations and Australian competition law.

The guide is designed to increase understanding of where competition law risks are not likely to arise when businesses collaborate to improve sustainability outcomes. It also provides information on what exemptions are available for business collaborations. 

The ACCC has denied authorisation to the Copping Refuse Disposal Site Joint Authority to design, build and operate an organics waste facility in Copping, Tasmania.

The ACCC concluded that the proposed facility would be likely to result in public detriments in the form of higher prices and reduced access to best practice composting for non-Participating councils and other customers.

The federal government has granted a greenhouse gas assessment permit to a consortium comprising Chevron, Shell, and Mobil, and another to Beach Energy.

The federal government on 24 December released a new threat abatement plan for feral cats.

Cats have been implicated in the extinction of many Australian animal species, including as a primary cause of most of the 33 Australian mammal species that became extinct since European settlement, the plan says.

The Clean Energy Council has released an analysis of the Frontier Economics analysis of the cost of building nuclear power stations.

The potential impacts of unconventional gas exploration and appraisal activities in the Beetaloo Basin are likely to be minor, if mitigation strategies are adopted and correctly implemented, says the federal government's scientific advisory body on the water impacts of coal mining and unconventional gas projects.

However, these activities will likely lead to further production, exploration
and appraisal, which will inevitably intensify impacts, along with those from current and proposed land-uses such as irrigated agriculture, and from climate change, the Committee's advice says.

"Detailed local-scale environmental studies are needed to ensure adequate understanding and protection of the Basin’s surface and groundwater water resources in areas where unconventional gas development is planned," it says.

A Senate inquiry into PFAS has scheduled hearings for January 21 and 22.

Following the commencement of the Orderly Exit Management Framework Act for coal-fired power stations, climate and energy ministers have now released the OEM Framework.

The Framework gives governments that opt in a tool to manage the orderly retirement of thermal generators.

The CEFC has made a $150 million commitment to support the Commonwealth Bank's EV Access Program, which provides discounted EV car loans to bank customers who work in key sectors or who earn less than $100,000 per year. 

The CEFC finance will support a discounted rate that will apply to a range of new and used EVs valued up to $55,000, as well as EV home charging infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the CEFC has also announced a $100 million investment in a Neoen portfolio of clean energy assets, covering an additional capacity of 1.3 GW of renewable energy generation and battery storage capacity.

The CEFC commitment will support the construction of the 440MW Culcairn solar farm in NSW, the 341 MW/1,363 MWh Collie Battery Stage 2 in WA, and the 270MW/540MWh Western Downs Battery Stage 1 in Queensland.

CEFC capital is now backing more than 2.3GW in new battery capacity across nine projects Australia-wide and more than 6.2GW of clean energy generation.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources is conducting a survey on offshore decommissioning. Responses are due by 28 February.

Planned federal Budget spending on climate and the environment averages less than 1 cent out of every Commonwealth dollar across the forward estimates, at 0.84 cents in real terms, says an Australian Conservation Foundation Budget submission.

The fossil fuel tax credit averages 68% more, standing 1.41 cents per dollar across the forward estimates, the submission points out.

ARENA is providing grants totalling $14.1 million for two sustainable aviation fuel projects.

ARENA will provide $8 million in funding to Ampol for a $30.2 million study that will investigate developing a renewable fuels facility of greater than 450ML p.a for SAF and renewable diesel at the company’s Lytton refinery in Brisbane.

Another $6.1 million will go to GrainCorp for a $19.8 million investigation into the establishment of an oilseed crushing facility that could produce a minimum of 330kt p.a of canola oil as a feedstock input for SAF production.

This represents approximately 12% of the canola exported from Australia in the 12 months to 30 September last year.

Ampol and GrainCorp, along with IFM Investors, recently entered a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the establishment of an integrated renewable fuels industry in Australia.

More than 80% of Australian households in the National Electricity Network could move to a cheaper electricity plan if they shopped around, the ACCC’s latest electricity inquiry report has found.

Australia and South Korea have signed a new Green Economy Partnership Arrangement on Climate and Energy.

Australia's Chris Bowen and his Korean counterpart, Minister Ahn Dukgeun, signed the partnership on Friday 20 December 2024.

EPBC clean energy and CCS developments:

• Woodside has lodged an EPBC referral for its proposed Browse carbon capture and storage project, which it estimates could store between three and four million tonnes of CO2 annually.
• Conditional EPBC approval has been granted for the HumeLink transmission project in NSW.
• Green Steel WA has lodged an EPBC referral for its proposed steel recycling project near Collie (WA).
• Cubico Sustainable Investments Australia Pty Ltd has lodged a referral for the Marmadua Energy Park, to be located near Dalby (Queensland). The project would comprise a 792MW wind farm and associated battery energy storage.
• Cubico has also lodged a referral for the Middle Creek Energy Hub, to be located near Wandoan in Queensland. It would comprise a 1,317MW wind farm and associated battery energy storage.
• Zephyr Energy Pty Ltd has lodged a referral for a 489MW wind farm, to be located near Badgingarra (Western Australia).
• Conditional EPBC approval has been granted to the Queensland government for the Bohle Plains energy precinct to be located near Townsville. The former government referred the project in 2021.
• Conditional EPBC approval has been granted for the Prairie wind farm, to be located near Hughenden in Queensland.
• Cameron Downs Energy Park has lodged an EPBC referral for the Cameron Downs energy park, comprising a wind farm and battery storage, to be located near Hughenden.
• EPBC approval is not required for Iberdrola's proposed Gin Gin battery energy storage system in Queensland, DCCEEW has concludielled.
• Gippsland Skies has made an EPBC referral for marine survey work for an offshore wind project.
• RES and Aula Energy have lodged an EPBC referral for the proposed Argoon wind farm, to be located near Jerilderie (NSW).

Open consultations:

• Clean energy and net zero. The Productivity Commission is seeking ideas to inform its recommendations to government on investing in cheaper, cleaner energy and net zero. Suggestions should be submitted by 15 January.
• Planning the future of the NEM. The Australian Energy Market Operator is consulting on draft 2025 inputs, assumptions, and scenarios. Comments are due by 11 February.
• Sustainability claims in agriculture. The Department of Agriculture has released a discussion paper on international market requirements for proof of sustainability claims. Survey responses must be submitted by 24 February.

New listings are in blue.

The year 2024 was both the warmest year on record since 1850 and the first calendar year that the average global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Copernicus' data reports that the average temperature worldwide was 1.6°C above the pre-industrial average from 1850 to 1890. Each of the past 10 years was one of the 10 warmest years on record, and the two-year average for 2023-2024 also exceeds the 1.5°C threshold.

In a media statement, Copernicus cautioned that the findings do not equate to a breach of the Paris Agreement threshold, which is averaged over at least 20 years. However, it warned that "global temperatures are rising beyond what modern humans have ever experienced".

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has appointed David Kennedy as its new CEO

Kennedy currently serves as Partner at EY, where he has led work on net-zero strategy and planning for international and national businesses across banking, food, infrastructure and manufacturing. He was also the founding chief executive of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change. 

Australian news items in all issues of ESG Snapshot can be searched by relevant Sustainable Development Goal category. To do this, click on the '17 SDGs' link at the top of this web page, or on any of the SDG keys below.

Click to search via SDG