EMISSIONS REDUCTION

• Commitment to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050 (2021)
• Bass Strait (off Gippsland , Vic) announced as Australia’s first priority area for assessment for offshore wind developments (2022)
• National legislative framework for biodiversity trading between farmers and the private sector (2022)
• $140 million funding for rare earth minerals project in Hastings Yangibana WA to supply vital components for renewable energy (2022)
• $300 million investment in low carbon timber for the construction industry (2022)
• $2 billion boost for the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (increasing it from $5b to $7b)
• $247 million to support increased private sector investment in low emissions technologies including hydrogen and develop a ‘guarantee of origin scheme’ for hydrogen (2022)
• $200 million to develop low emissions manufacturing facilities using hydrogen and hydrogen-derivatives like ammonia in the Pilbara region (2022)
• $100 million to support pre-final investment decision activities and early works to make the Port of Newcastle ‘hydrogen ready’ (2022)
• $18.75 million for the construction of a renewable energy microgrid in the Daintree rainforest (2022)
• $22.8 million to build hydrogen cell refueling stations to drive uptake of commercially viable hydrogen electric vehicles in the transport industry (2022)
• Establishment of the Corporate Emissions Reduction Transparency (CERT) pilot program, involving 25 of Australia’s largest companies (2022)
• $1.6 million investment in soil carbon measurement technology (2022)
• $33 million investment in a smart phone app to increase carbon market participation (2022)
• $300 million to support low emissions LNG and clean hydrogen production in Darwin, positioning Darwin to become one of the world’s leading low-cost clean energy hubs (2022)
• Central Queensland announced as location for the world’s largest electrolyser facility along with a $ 3 billion wind, solar and battery farm to be developed by Fortescue Future Industries (2021)
• $100 million funding for next generation big battery storage installations for fully renewable grids (2021)
• $60 million investment in the National Soil Strategy, to assist farmers increase participation in soil carbon projects and perform more comprehensive soil testing (2021)
• $1 billion Low Emissions Technology Commercialisation Fund to drive low emissions technology investment by Australian companies (2021)
• $104 million development of a high integrity Indo Pacific Carbon Offsets Scheme, sharing Australia’s expertise in carbon accounting with countries in the region to meet emissions reporting obligations (2021)
• Support for the $2.4 billion Sunrise Battery Materials Complex project in NSW to develop and operate a nickel/cobalt mine and battery materials processing and recycling facility which will produce raw materials for battery manufacture (2021)
• Major Project Status granted to Sun Cable’s proposed Australian-ASEAN Power Link (AAPL) –one of the world’s largest dispatchable renewable electricity systems, supported by the world’s largest battery & solar farm in the Barkly region near Tennant Creek.
• Development of $40 million pumped hydro energy storage in South Australia, with 3 locations approved (2019)
• Development of $3 billion National Hydrogen Strategy identifying areas suitable for establishment of green hydrogen hubs. Launch of a funding package to support new hydrogen projects via the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and ARENA (2019)
• $6 million to fund the development of an electric vehicles charging network along major driving routes from Brisbane to Adelaide by ARENA (2018)

BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT

• $1 billion commitment to Great Barrier Reef restoration and protection (spent over 9 years), with a focus on water management to rectify contaminated run-offs and erosion, reducing invasive species and preventing illegal fishing (2022)
• $50 million boost to koala conservation funding over the next 4 years, with a focus on habitat restoration, population monitoring and research into animal health (2022)

WASTE MANAGEMENT

• Boost of $60 million to the Recycling Modernisation Fund (to $250 million total) targeted at advanced technology to tackle problematic plastics like bread bags and chip packets (2022)
• $1.1 million investment in Australian company Samsara to improve recycling and allow plastics to be infinitely recycled using an enzyme process (2022)
• A commitment to be the first country to ban the export of waste plastic (2021)
• Glass waste banned from export from January 2021 (2021)
• Plastic and paper waste and tyres will progressively be banned from export from 2021 – 2024 (2021)
• Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020, introducing a new legislative framework to manage environmental health and safety impacts of products and waste material (2020)