Commonwealth Climate Change Bills Pass House of Representatives
Tuesday 23 August 2022 @ 2.37 p.m. | Legal Research
On 27 July 2022, the Climate Change Bill 2022 (Cth) (‘the Bill’) and the Climate Change (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2022 (Cth) (‘the Consequential Amendments Bill’) were introduced to the House of the Representatives by Minister for Climate Change and Energy Christopher Bowen ('the Minister'). On 4 August 2022, both Bills were passed the lower house with amendments. The Bills are awaiting introduction into the Senate.
Aims of the Bills
Clause 4 of the Bill outlines that the resulting Act, if passed, will:
- set out Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets;
- require the Minister to prepare an annual climate change statement;
- enable the Climate Change Authority to give the Minister advice that relates to the preparation of annual climate change statements;
- enable the Climate Change Authority to advise the Minister on greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets to be included in a new or adjusted nationally determined contribution;
- require periodic reviews of the operation of the Act.
If passed, the Bill will set legislative greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The targets would be a 43% reduction from 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.
The Bill's Explanatory Memorandum notes that whilst Australia has already established its targets according to the Paris Agreement, which requires all Parties to communicate their Nationally Determined Contribution. The Bill will ensure:
“Australia’s emissions reduction targets are not just recorded in international settings, but are clearly stated in Australia’s domestic law”.
The Explanatory Memorandum also notes that the Bill seek to require the Minister to prepare annual climate change statements, which aims to:
“ensure that the Parliament, and the Australian community, are informed and kept up to date about Australia’s progress towards meeting these targets, as well as about relevant international developments, climate change policy, and the effectiveness of Commonwealth measures in contributing to the achievement of the targets.”
The Consequential Amendments Bill was introduced in order to make various amendments to a number of legislation in order to support the effective implementation of the Bill if passed.
TimeBase is an independent, privately owned Australian legal publisher specialising in the online delivery of accurate, comprehensive and innovative legislation research tools including LawOne and unique Point-in-Time Products. Nothing on this website should be construed as legal advice and does not substitute for the advice of competent legal counsel.
Sources:
Climate Change Bill 2022 (Cth) and Climate Change (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2022 (Cth) and explanatory materials available from TimeBase's LawOne Service
