EDO has made a submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Climate Trigger) Bill 2020.

EDO has recently submitted a detailed submission to the statutory review of the EPBC Act. That submission highlights that the EPBC Act is now 20 years old and is in need of extensive reform. A key failure of the existing EPBC Act is the failure to effectively address climate change.

Relevant analysis and recommendations in relation to effectively addressing climate change and the role of a climate trigger in national environment laws are included in this submission.

This inquiry, and the broader statutory review of the EPBC Act, provide an opportunity to re- write the law to better recognise our interdependence with the environment and the pathways necessary to ensure we deliver a healthy, thriving and resilient environment for future generations, by effectively addressing climate change.

This submission sets out:

  • The case for stronger climate change laws
  • EDO recommendations for a greenhouse gas emissions trigger
  • Specific comment on the provisions of the proposed Bill
  • EDO recommendations for broader climate law reform.