The EPA is taking action to protect the environment and community from the impacts of climate change, and will work across government, with industry, experts and the community as part of its draft Climate Change Policy and Climate Change Action Plan.

In November 2022, the EPA concluded consultation on the draft Climate Change Policy and draft Climate Change Action Plan.

The EPA appreciates all the feedback we received, which has informed our final policy and action plan. We will continue to consider and address that feedback as we further develop and roll out the actions under the action plan.

The EPA has prepared a Consultation Summary which summarises the feedback received during consultation. Submissions received from industry, industry representative bodies, community and environment groups and other organisations can be found on this page.

Some submitters requested that their submissions remain confidential, these have not been published.

As we implement the Climate Change Action Plan information will be publicly available on our website here.

The EPA's now final Action Plan includes a range of actions to:

• Inform and plan – such as requiring government and industry reporting, licensee management plans to develop best practice guidelines and tools to improve the evidence base, and support regulated industries to take proactive action to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change risks

• Mitigate – including setting emission reduction targets, best-practice guidelines and emission limits to support regulated industries where required to cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time

• Adapt – such as implementing resilience programs, adaptation guidance, and harnessing citizen science to ensure the EPA, regulated industries and the community are more prepared for and resilient to climate change risks.

The climate change policy landscape is complex and evolving and many of the EPA’s licensees are already forging ahead of mandated requirements. It is important that the EPA step into the regulatory space in a way that is deliberate, systematic, well informed and properly paced. The EPA’s climate change actions will be staged, progressive and iterative – allowing time for licensees to adjust and for data to inform what actions must be taken and where.

The EPA’s staged approach is to:

• Listen and gather information – to understand the proactive work of industry leaders, evolving policies and global best practice

• Set targets and provide guidance – based on industry and expert feedback, alignment with other jurisdictions and the EPA’s own analysis

• Enable and require – industry prepare climate change mitigation and adaptation plans based on evidence and best practice

• Require improved performance – progressively placing other requirements on licences.

Note: CCMAPs = Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Plans; PRPs = Pollution Reduction Program

Public consultation on the EPA’s draft Climate Change Policy and draft Climate Change Action Plan is now closed.

Please note, your feedback on Climate Change Policy and Action Plan may include ‘personal information,' including your name, address, email, internet protocol address and any other personal information contained in your feedback.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (the EPA) must comply with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998. Visit the EPA’s privacy page and the Privacy Policy for further information on its online consultation platform.

The EPA may publish all or part of your feedback on its website, on its online consultation platform or in a consultation report. In providing us with your feedback, you consent to the EPA publishing all or part of your submission. If you would like all or part of your feedback to be withheld from publication, please let us know when making your feedback.

If you send us an email, we will record your email for the purpose of responding to you.

All information held by the EPA is subject to the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.