The WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is inviting submissions on its draft Greenhouse Gas Assessment Guidelines to help determine the how new projects should be assessed, and what controls and limits should be placed on carbon emissions from polluting industries.
This briefing note provides information to assist stakeholders and members of the public to make submissions supporting strong new rules for polluters that will help tackle global climate change, while also benefiting the WA environment and creating new jobs as part of a cleaner economy.
Action on climate change requires action at all levels of government, industry, and community, in order to rapidly reduce carbon pollution to net zero emissions as quickly as possible. However here in WA, carbon pollution is rising due to ineffective controls on WA’s biggest polluters. Driven by rapid expansion ion in gas processing for export, this rising pollution is in turn driving up Australia’s emissions and preventing international obligations under the Paris Agreement from being met.
As the agency with primary responsibility for providing advice to government on how carbon emissions from polluting industries should be controlled, it is essential that the EPA’s policy is updated and strengthened.
We believe that the key essential elements of an updated policy must:
- Reflect the science
- Prevent new or expanded fossil fuel production
- Require net zero emissions for all polluters
- Apply to all polluters and account for all pollution; and
- Apply a ‘mitigation hierarchy’ and require certified pollution offsets that benefit Western Australia
These policy principles are described in detail in our briefing note here.
CCWA encourages stakeholders and members of the public to make submissions to the EPA policy that support the approach outlined in our briefing note.
More information can be found on this consultation process, and submissions can be made until the closing date of Monday 2 September 2019 at www.epa.wa.gov.au Or, you can: