A group of young Queenslanders is challenging the mining lease and environmental approval for the Waratah coal mine, part of the Galilee Coal Project. Although detailed grounds are not yet available, statements on behalf of the group indicate that the grounds will explicitly link climate change with human rights in a way that is novel in Australia. Read more

A community group of bushfire survivors has commenced proceedings in the NSW Land and Environment Court against the NSW Environment Protection Authority to encourage or compel the development of policies to address NSW’s greenhouse gas emissions. Read more

Hydrogen is heating up with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) offering $70m in a new funding round. Read more

On 18 November 2019, the updated version of the Equator Principles (EP), EP4, was adopted by the Equator Principles Association. EP4 will apply to mandated transactions from 1 July 2020. This article discusses the key amendments made. Read more

The NSW Government has introduced the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Territorial Limits) Bill 2019 (NSW) (Bill) into the NSW Parliament. The Bill proposes to prohibit conditions of consent which would regulate downstream greenhouse gas emissions. Read more

Proponents of new and expansion coal mine projects face increased scrutiny to facilitate ecologically sustainable development and ensure that the cost of environmental effects is not disproportionately borne by future generations. We explore the refusal of an open cut and underground coal mine in Bylong Valley, NSW. Read more

Our new Climate Change: Succeed in a lower-carbon future report, which gathers insights from our global experts, considers the political, regulatory and commercial pressures arising from climate change, looks at the steps for ensuring that risk management practices measure up to the climate change challenge, and examines the benefits for businesses in all sectors that lead the transformation and innovate toward a lower-carbon future. Read more

On 11 July 2019, the Climate Change Authority released a Consultation Paper regarding the Authority’s update of its previous advice to the Commonwealth Government on the policy toolkit required to meet Australia’s greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement. Submissions on the Consultation Paper may be made until 23 August 2019. Read more