Bill
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Climate Trigger) Bill 2022
before parliament, as at 2025-07-23.
- Sponsor
- Hanson-Young
- Portfolio
- Not recorded
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2022-09-05
- second reading — 2022-09-05
- second reading — 2023-08-02
- second reading — 2024-02-28
- other — 2025-07-21
- other — 2025-07-23
- second reading — 2025-07-23
- second reading — 2025-07-23
Divisions
No divisions recorded. Most questions are decided on the voices; this does not establish that a bill was unopposed.
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2022-09-05.
This bill is part of a package that would amend the EPBC Act to add a climate trigger, requiring assessment of projects that emit large amounts of greenhouse gases.
The bill would create a new class of controlled action for greenhouse gas emissions, with two thresholds: projects emitting 25,000 to 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent scope 1 emissions per year would need ministerial consideration under Part 9, while those emitting above 100,000 tonnes would be rejected like nuclear projects.
The Climate Change Authority would have to develop a national carbon budget to 2050 and update it annually, and the minister must use that budget when deciding approvals, strategic assessments, conservation agreements, and bioregional plans.
- Establishes a new controlled action class for greenhouse gas emissions under the EPBC Act.
- Creates two thresholds for emissions: 25,000 to 100,000 tonnes per year triggers ministerial consideration, and above 100,000 tonnes forces rejection.
- Requires the Climate Change Authority to set a national carbon budget to 2050 and assess it yearly.
- Forces the minister to consider the carbon budget and emissions targets when approving projects, entering conservation agreements, and developing bioregional plans.
- Prohibits the minister from using alternative approval processes for actions with a significant impact on emissions, except under Part 10.
Proponents of emissions-intensive projects, the Minister for the Environment, and the Climate Change Authority.
Sources
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