Purpose:

The purpose of this Act is to give effect to the international commitment established through the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperature increase and to increase the ability to adapt to climate change, ensuring a sustainable and fair future for New South Wales.

Objectives:

• To establish guiding principles for action to address climate change.
• To set targets for the reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions in New South Wales until 2050.
• To set an objective for New South Wales to be more resilient to a changing climate.
• To establish the Net Zero Commission to independently monitor, review and report on progress in New South Wales towards the targets, the adaptation objective and other matters.

Key Provisions:

• The Act establishes guiding principles for action to address climate change, emphasising urgent, fiscally responsible, and sustainable action.
• The Act sets primary targets for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions in New South Wales from 2005 levels: at least 50% by 30 June 2030, at least 70% by 30 June 2035, and net zero by 30 June 2050.
• The Act mandates the Premier and Minister to ensure New South Wales achieves the net zero target by 30 June 2050.
• The Act establishes the Net Zero Commission as a NSW Government agency, independent of direct ministerial control except as expressly provided.
• The Net Zero Commission is tasked with monitoring, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations to the Minister on progress towards emission targets and the adaptation objective.
• The Commission is also responsible for identifying and recommending actions, strategies, policies, and programs for the Government of New South Wales to address climate change.
• The Commission has a function to educate and inform the Government, businesses, organisations, and individuals to promote action to address climate change.
• Government agencies are obligated to comply with reasonable requests from the Commission to provide relevant information.
• The Minister is required to table Commission reports in both Houses of Parliament within 28 days of receipt and publish a response to the report within 6 months, detailing acceptance, refusal, or noting of advice/recommendations and the reasons.
• The Commission must provide an annual report by 1 November each year on progress towards targets and the adaptation objective, including consultation with the Agriculture Commissioner.
• Members of the Commission and advisory committees, as well as staff, are protected from personal civil liability for actions done in good faith while exercising functions under the Act.

Evidence of Compliance Requirements For Agricultural Organisations:

This document does not specify direct, actionable compliance requirements (such as specific documentation, actions, time frames, measurement standards, reporting, or record-keeping requirements) for private agricultural organisations. The Act primarily sets out targets for the New South Wales government and establishes the Net Zero Commission to monitor, advise, and educate.

The Commission’s functions include: - To educate and inform businesses, organisations and individuals to promote action to address climate change (Section 15(1)(e)). This implies agricultural organisations may be recipients of information or education to encourage action, but it does not impose a direct compliance obligation on them within the scope of this Act. - The Commission may provide advice and make recommendations to the Minister about greenhouse gas emissions and action to address climate change relating to specific business or industry sectors (Section 15(2)(g)). This indicates the Commission’s advisory scope may cover agricultural sectors, but it does not translate into a direct compliance requirement for organisations as stated in this legislation. - Government agencies (including State owned corporations) are obligated to comply with a reasonable request by the Commission to give the Commission information relevant to the Commission’s functions (Section 18). This applies to agricultural organisations only if they fall under the definition of a “government agency”.

Metadata Keywords:

Climate change, Net Zero, Greenhouse gas emissions, New South Wales, Adaptation, Net Zero Commission, Government legislation, Environmental policy, Sustainability, Agriculture.

Publication Information:

Publication date: 31 October 2024 Version number: No 48

Agricultural Industry Alignment:

Beef & Veal, Chicken, Coarse Grains, Cotton, Dairy, Eggs, Fisheries, Forestry, Horticulture, Oilseeds, Pig, Sheep Meat, Sugar, Wheat, Wine, Wool.

Date Added to database:

This document was parsed and added to the database on 25-07-2025

URL:

https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/pdf/inforce/2024-10-31/act-2023-048 →