Last week the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee handed down its report on the inquiry into the Climate Change Bill 2022 and Climate Change (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2022.

NSW Council for Liberties contributed a submission to this inquiry.  After a decade of inaction on climate change, the Climate Change Bill 2022 (Bill) represents welcome progress.

The report acknowledges that vulnerable and marginalised communities bear a disproportionate share of the burdens imposed by climate change. Those already experiencing financial or social disadvantage have fewer resources to cope with, adapt to and recover from the effects of climate change. The IPCC describes climate change as a 'poverty multiplier'.

While NSWCCL supports the Bill as an improvement on business as usual, it is our view that the target it enshrines in law is woefully inadequate; and beyond setting a target, the Bill fails to do any work towards achieving that target.  Unfortunately, the report does little to address these failings.

Read our submission here.