Lock the Gate Alliance welcomes a NSW Government update today that it is empowering decision makers to consider how greenhouse gas pollution from big coal and gas projects would impact the state’s emissions reduction targets for the first time.
The move comes as the state’s Environment Protection Authority released draft new guidelines setting standards for major projects in terms of how they assess greenhouse gas emissions and requiring consideration of climate targets and principles.
Lock the Gate says both steps are important tools in the fight to reduce NSW’s massive emissions from fossil fuel projects.
Lock the Gate’s Head of Research and Investigation, Georgina Woods, said, “We’re pleased to see this update which requires consideration of climate change targets and principles in planning decisions, including by the Independent Planning Commission.
“The guidelines released today strengthen the climate change assessments and transparency around major projects, which is a positive step forward.
“Ultimately, the key test we will apply to these new measures is whether they prevent dangerous and polluting coal expansions from being approved.
“There are 19 new coal expansions planned in NSW. They will produce lifecycle emissions that are 17 times the state’s total annual emissions including millions of tonnes of direct greenhouse pollution here in NSW.
“It is crucial that ‘carbon offsets’ are not used as a tool to facilitate coal mine expansions, as they do not work and are not a valid tool to deal with greenhouse pollution from coal mines.
“Further measures are also needed in relation to methane emissions from coal mining, to ensure that the full global warming potential of those emissions in the short-term is properly considered by decision-makers.”
ENDS