Australia adopts emissions caps for big polluters including aluminium, driving sustainable development

On March 30, 2023, the Australian parliament passed the progressive climate laws eyeing the countries' worst polluters, impelling aluminium smelters and alumina refineries, coal mines, and oil refineries, among others, to restrain emissions by about five per cent annually.

The legislation, according to experts, marks the end of Australia's harsh "climate wars," a decade-long political scuffle that has repeatedly thwarted efforts to combat climate change.

Tommy Wiedmann, the sustainability expert at the University of New South Wales, said, "It's the first time greenhouse gas emissions reduction has been written into Australian law. "That's obviously a good thing. We have a climate policy now."

The legislation, which applies to 215 significant industrial units producing more than 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, is the cornerstone of Australia's commitment to achieving net zero emissions by the year 2050.

According to Australian government estimates, carbon emissions can be reduced by 200 million tonnes in the next ten years. Large polluters, including aluminium smelters, oil refineries and coal mines, will have to reduce their emissions by 4.9 per cent annually.

Martin Brueckner, the sustainability expert at Murdoch University, said, "The plan ended Australia's climate 'stalemate' and gave a strong signal to businesses. It pushes climate denialists into a corner."

"We had a lot of market investment uncertainty over the last ten years under the poorly-defined climate policy. Making that first policy step- as small as it may pave the way for more progressive policies to follow."

Several of the mines and smelters that will be required to reduce emissions are operated by global mining and metal giants Rio Tinto and Alcoa.

source https://www.alcircle.com/news/australia-adopts-emissions-caps-for-big-polluters-including-aluminium-driving-sustainable-development-92428