<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/green-groups-warn-labors-nature-law-reforms-too-weak-to-protect-environment/>
"Conservation groups are warning Labor’s latest attempt to refresh nature
protections will fail to protect the environment from climate change and other
threats.
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt on Thursday introduced to parliament
1500 pages of changes to the laws protecting threatened species, ecosystems and
other matters of national significance.
Environmental groups have welcomed some aspects of the bill, including the
commitment to protection standards, but argue the package is not strong enough
to protect nature.
“Weak laws will put more valuable forests under a bulldozer, pollution into the
atmosphere and destroy Australia’s natural wealth,” Australian Conservation
Foundation acting chief executive officer Paul Sinclair said.
“They’re not good enough.”
The package does not include a “climate trigger” to stop coal and gas projects,
a mechanism ruled out by Senator Watt, who says the safeguard mechanism already
curbs the emissions of Australia’s biggest polluters.
Environmental Defenders Office managing lawyer Revel Pointon said the failure
to assess the climate impacts of projects runs counter to international law as
laid out in a recent advisory opinion from the World Court.
In the landmark opinion from the International Court of Justice delivered
earlier in 2025, the judges specified fossil fuel production could constitute
an “internationally wrongful act”.
“Requiring only partial disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions – and not
assessing them – is not environmental protection,” Ms Pointon said.
“It’s a free pass for fossil fuel expansion.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
