Anthony Albanese refuses to rule out climate trigger

Anthony Albanese has left the door open to a climate trigger under Labor’s overhaul of environmental laws, despite Tanya Plibersek previously ruling-out the Greens-endorsed trigger.

Anthony Albanese in question time on Thursday. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Anthony Albanese has left the door open to a climate trigger under Labor’s shake-up of environmental laws, putting him at odds with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek who previously said the government was “not considering” the Greens-endorsed trigger.

Asked in question time by Greens MP Stephen Bates whether he gave a guarantee to business leaders that a climate trigger would not be included in the government’s Nature Positive law reform plan, the Prime Minister provided a one-word response: “No.”

The Australian on Thursday revealed the Business Council of Australia was concerned that Mr Albanese would break the government’s “iron-clad guarantee” and insert a climate trigger under Labor’s overhaul of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act.

BCA chief executive Bran Black told The Australian the government must clarify whether its policy position has changed since Ms Plibersek’s rejection of a climate trigger.

Ms Plibersek, who is leading the three-stage Nature Positive plan, was asked in a December 2022 interview if she was open to a climate trigger pushed by the Greens, David Pocock and other independents.

“No, we’re not considering that,” she said.

Mr Black said the BCA, which is a big backer of the net-zero transition and more renewables, was deeply concerned that the government had “put a climate trigger back on the table as part of the Nature Positive reforms”.

Under a climate trigger process, the government would consider emissions footprints of EPBC-referred major projects and increase the likelihood of fossil fuel mines and large industrial facilities being rejected.

“A trigger will simply increase bureaucracy and duplicate the already legislated safeguard mechanism,” Mr Black said.

“Professor Graeme Samuel’s independent review of the EPBC Act in 2020 agreed that a climate trigger was not appropriate in the EPBC and emissions reduction should be dealt with separately.

“Ironically, including a climate trigger will mean project approvals – including those for renewable energy – get pushed out.”

With the Coalition opposing the bulk of Labor’s environmental law overhaul, the government needs support from the Greens and crossbenchers to push its reforms through the Senate.

Holding the balance of power on the proposed laws, Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said a climate trigger and protection for native forests were a “condition of our support”.

“We welcome the PM’s rejection … that he gave big corporations a guarantee a climate trigger won’t be in new environment laws. This shows that a climate trigger is still on the table in this parliament. The nation’s big polluters are on notice – the era of dirty coal and gas is almost over,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“The Greens will push for a climate trigger in new environment laws to stop more coal and gas mines, as well as an end to native forest logging.

“Any new environment laws that allow more fossil fuels and the destruction of our forests are not worth the paper they’re printed on. The Greens won’t be rubberstamping any new laws that simply pander to the fossil fuel lobby, fail to protect nature, and do little to cut pollution.”