Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism legislation will force big polluters to cut carbon emissions
Author: Kevin Rennie
After weeks of negotiating, the Australian government’s key climate carbon reduction program was passed by parliament on March 30, 2023. The new law strengthens the weak policy known as the Safeguard Mechanism and aligns it with the commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 43% by 2030. The nation’s 215 biggest polluters will be required to lower their levels by 4.9% each year until then.
The Greens party, whose support was crucial in the Senate, had been insisting on no new coal or gas projects in line with the recent IPCC report, and less reliance on carbon offsets.
While the negotiated compromise does not include this guarantee, they have achieved several improvements. These include a so-called hard cap on total emissions, requiring that polluters reduce their total emissions and not just rely on carbon offsets. In addition, there will be tougher requirements before new fossil fuel projects are approved. This includes assessment of the impact of their carbon pollution.
The Greens have been frequently criticised for their refusal to vote for Labor’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2009, which was defeated in the Senate. In contrast, in 2011 the Greens suppod a carbon price scheme, which was ditched by the new conservative government in 2013.