New South Wales is poised to enshrine in law its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of 50% by 2030 and net zero by 2050, and establish an independent advisory panel to monitor the state’s progress.
The Minns Government will introduce its flagship climate change legislation to the NSW Parliament on Thursday to enshrine the targets and establish the Net Zero Commission, fulfilling two election pledges.
NSW will also follow the federal government in creating a new stand-alone Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water.
While the legislation has yet to be released, Guardian Australia understands the Net Zero Commission would comprise between five and seven part-time members, who would be academics or industry representatives working in areas such as decarbonisation or renewable energy.
The commission would submit an annual report to parliament, which would be considered by the government and politicians from different parties, and would be open to public scrutiny.
The government of the day would be legally obliged to respond to the report and any recommendations, but the commission’s advice would not be binding.
The Commission could advise on a wide range of issues, such as any interim emissions reduction targets it believes NSW should aim for between 2030 and 2050.
It could also advise on emissions ‘budgets’ for specific sectors, such as energy and manufacturing, in consultation with those industries.
However, Guardian Australia understands it would not have the power to advise the government on whether or not to approve individual fossil fuel projects.
The introduction of NSW Labor’s climate change legislation comes amid a heated debate over whether taxpayers should prop up Eraring, Australia’s largest coal-fired power station.
The government confirmed last month it would negotiate with the owner of the 2,880-megawatt plant near Newcastle, Origin Energy, for a ‘temporary’ extension of its operating life beyond its 2025 closure date.
Labor’s climate change legislation would also enshrine nine principles to guide the state in tackling climate change, including recognising the “urgent need” for “swift” action while taking into account a “wide range of stakeholders”.
NSW must strive to become more resilient to climate change and take this into account when rebuilding after natural disasters such as bushfires and floods.
State Climate Change and Energy Minister Penny Sharpe said extreme weather events were already costing NSW.
“These laws are a down payment on securing the future for the people of NSW,” she said.
The government expects the legislation to pass through parliament before the end of the year. Labor needs the support of the crossbench and the Greens or the opposition to pass legislation in NSW.
While Labor and the Coalition share a bipartisan commitment to transitioning to clean energy and reducing carbon emissions, it’s not yet known whether the Coalition will support the legislation.
In December last year, then Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean promised that if re-elected, the Perrottet Coalition government would meet an ambitious new emissions reduction target of 70% by 2035.
But he said the Coalition wouldn’t legislate the targets, and that they could be achieved through existing policies.
Premier Chris Minns said putting the targets into law showed his Labor government was “serious” about cutting emissions and moving to more affordable renewable energy.
“The people of NSW expect their government to take action on climate change and electricity bills,” he said.
NSW Labor’s target of a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 is slightly more ambitious than Federal Labor’s target of a 43% reduction over the same period.