Progress against Australia’s legislated 2030 target is on-track, with current projections from the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (DCCEEW) indicating a 42.6-42.7% decrease below 2005 levels by 2030. While the national trajectory remains on-track, the underlying policy environment for agriculture remains fragmented.
To support a just transition, the Commonwealth needs to take national leadership by delivering clear, enforceable guidelines for energy project engagement that embed social licence from the outset. This means projects must secure the support and willingness of landholders to proceed, that consultation is genuine and ongoing, and that there is a guarantee on the free-flow of information through (and at the very-least) in-person dialogue. Critically, Commonwealth funding through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, and others must be tied to demonstrable landholder engagement outcomes. This is an entirely reasonable and common-sense measure given the billions of dollars that have and will continue to be invested.
The NFF’s full submission can be found here.
Stacey Davidson