Today, the Greens will introduce the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Climate Trigger) Bill as their first private senators bill of the 48th Parliament.
This legislation will be the first bill debated in either chamber of the 48th parliament.
As stated by Senator Larissa Waters, Leader of the Greens
"The Labor government has a choice this term to either work with the Greens in the Senate to legislate a climate trigger, or to continue approving toxic coal and gas that is sending our planet to collapse.
"Our Bill would force the climate impacts of projects to be considered by the Minister, and it would also ensure mega-polluting projects can't get environmental approval at all.
"While Australian communities are living through once-in-a-decade weather events almost every year, our environmental laws remain unchanged since the Howard government wrote them.
"These laws allowed the Albanese Labor government to sign off on Woodside's North West Shelf gas extension to 2070, meaning more intense floods, fires, and species extinctions, plus more pollution each year than all of Australia's coal stations combined.
"After decades of fossil fuel acquiescence from the major parties the moment for real action is now.
"Dirty fossil fuel projects need to be properly assessed for their impacts and rejected, so our kids, and all the precious species we share this beautiful planet with, have a safe climate future.
"The 48th parliament could achieve real progress, the Greens will keep fighting for climate and the environment, a transition to clean energy, an end to native forest logging, protection for our biodiversity, and no more coal and gas.
"We just need Labor to show courage in getting off the payroll of big gas corporations and to work with the Greens to bring our environmental laws into this century with a legislated climate trigger."
As stated by Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Environment spokesperson
"Right now, my home state of South Australia is experiencing a climate catastrophe. The toxic algal bloom caused by warming oceans is a direct consequence of fossil fuel pollution and unless we stop digging up and burning fossil fuels, we are making the problem worse.
"It's high time to make our environment laws fit for the modern challenges of today, and that must include climate. Climate pollution is killing our oceans, our rivers and wildlife habitat.
"Putting a climate trigger in our environmental protection laws is unfinished business from the last parliament and we urge the government to make it a top priority.
"It beggars belief that in 2025, the Environment Minister can sign off on a massive fossil fuel expansion such as the Woodside North West Shelf gas project without having to take into consideration the massive climate impacts of the pollution it produces.
"Australians voted for the Greens in the Senate to be a voice for nature and community, and to hold Government to account. Voters expect us to use our numbers here to achieve real action on climate change and nature protection.
"With the Greens and Labor in control of the Senate, we could get this done urgently. All that it takes is the political will from the Albanese Government
