Labor offers Greens forestry deal in exchange for support on environment laws – abc.net.au

Report on Proposed Environmental Law Overhaul and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The Australian government is advancing legislative reforms to the nation’s environmental laws, with significant implications for the country’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Negotiations are underway to secure parliamentary support for an overhaul of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, a process central to achieving robust environmental governance and sustainability targets.

Legislative Negotiations and SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The government is actively negotiating with both the Greens and the Coalition to pass the reform bill. This process highlights the challenges and importance of building effective and accountable institutions, a core target of SDG 16. A key concession has been offered to the Greens to secure their support.

• Government’s Position: The Labor government requires the support of either the Greens or the Coalition to pass the legislation.
• Negotiation Strategy: Environment Minister Murray Watt is engaging with both parties, indicating a willingness to amend the bill to build the necessary consensus for strengthening environmental protections.
• Coalition Demands: The Coalition has outlined seven areas for compromise, including proposals that could weaken the powers of the new Environment Protection Authority and remove climate reporting obligations, posing a challenge to the strengthening of institutional frameworks under SDG 16.

Advancing SDG 15: Life on Land through Forestry Regulation Reform

A primary focus of the legislative debate is the regulation of native forest logging, which directly impacts SDG 15 (Life on Land), particularly its targets on halting deforestation and biodiversity loss. The government’s proposal aims to address a long-standing exemption for native forestry from federal environmental oversight.

Current Regulatory Framework and its Conflict with SDG 15

Currently, native forestry operations under Regional Forestry Agreements (RFAs) are exempt from the federal EPBC Act. This exemption has been described as an “untenable loophole” that undermines national efforts to sustainably manage forests and protect biodiversity as mandated by SDG 15.

1. RFAs are managed through state-based regulations.
2. Native forest logging continues under these agreements in New South Wales and Tasmania.
3. This exemption hinders the integrated management of terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of threatened species.

Proposed Amendments to Strengthen Forest Protection

To align national policy more closely with SDG 15, the government has offered a significant concession to the Greens.

• Inclusion under National Standards: The government proposes to amend the legislation to require that native forestry operations comply with new National Environmental Standards.
• Three-Year Transition Period: A transition period of three years would be implemented, after which the Environment Minister could remove the exemption for non-compliant RFAs.
• Net Environmental Gain: Operations would be subject to a “net environmental gain” provision, requiring that any logging be offset by environmental improvements elsewhere, such as land restoration. This directly supports SDG 15’s goal to halt and reverse land degradation.

Stakeholder Responses and Urgency

The proposed timeline remains a point of contention, reflecting differing views on the urgency required to meet SDG 15 targets.

• The Greens’ Position: The Greens advocate for an immediate ban on native forest logging and the immediate removal of the RFA exemption, arguing that a three-year delay fails to address the urgent crisis of deforestation and biodiversity loss.
• Government’s Stance: The Environment Minister has urged compromise, warning against letting “the perfect be the enemy of the good” in achieving progress towards enhanced environmental protection.

Implications for SDG 13: Climate Action

The environmental law reforms also have direct implications for SDG 13 (Climate Action). The protection of native forests is a critical nature-based solution for carbon sequestration. The proposed changes to RFA exemptions would integrate climate considerations into land management policies, supporting SDG 13.2. However, demands from the Coalition to remove climate reporting obligations for new projects represent a potential move away from integrating climate change measures into national policy.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the proposed overhaul of Australia’s environment laws touches upon several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its discussion of native forest logging, biodiversity protection, climate considerations, and institutional reform.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The core debate revolves around the protection of native forests, halting biodiversity loss, and ensuring the sustainable management of terrestrial ecosystems. The discussion about ending the exemption for Regional Forestry Agreements (RFAs) from federal environmental law, protecting “threatened species,” and achieving a “net environmental gain” directly relates to preserving life on land.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article is fundamentally about governance and law-making. It details the legislative process, negotiations between political parties (Labor, Greens, Coalition), and the effort to reform the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. The proposal to create a “new Environment Protection Authority” and close “untenable ‘loophole[s]'” in existing laws is a clear effort to build more effective, accountable, and transparent institutions for environmental governance.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  While not the central focus, SDG 13 is relevant due to the mention of climate-related provisions in the proposed legislation. The Coalition’s demand for “removing climate reporting obligations for proponents of new projects” shows that climate change measures are a point of contention in the development of this national environmental policy.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.2: “By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.” The entire debate on whether to ban or regulate native forest logging under RFAs directly addresses the sustainable management of forests and halting deforestation. The proposed “net environmental gain” provision, which requires logging to be offset by “restoring degraded farmland,” aligns with restoring degraded ecosystems.
   • Target 15.5: “Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.” The article explicitly states that the new National Environmental Standards will require the protection of “threatened species,” which is a core component of this target. The push to end native forest logging is framed as an urgent action to protect these habitats.
   • Target 15.9: “By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts.” The overhaul of the EPBC Act and the creation of “National Environmental Standards” represent a direct attempt to integrate biodiversity and ecosystem values into Australia’s national legal and development framework.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.6: “Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.” The article discusses the proposed creation of a “new Environment Protection Authority” and the strengthening of environmental laws to close what an independent review called an “untenable ‘loophole'” for RFAs. This is a direct effort to build more effective institutions for environmental protection.
   • Target 16.7: “Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.” The article details the political negotiations between the government, the Greens, and the Coalition (“Senator Watt has held further talks with Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young and the Coalition’s environment spokesperson Angie Bell”). This process, including offers and concessions, exemplifies the participatory and representative decision-making process in a parliamentary system.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: “Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.” The Coalition’s push for “removing climate reporting obligations for proponents of new projects” highlights that such measures are being considered for integration into national policy, even if their inclusion is contested.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several qualitative and process-based indicators that can be used to measure progress:

1. Indicators for SDG 15 (Life on Land)

   • Legislative Change for Forest Management (Target 15.2): A key indicator is the amendment of the legislation to make native forestry subject to National Environmental Standards. The article provides a specific timeline: “over a transition period of three years.” Progress can be measured by the passage of this amendment and subsequent compliance by RFAs.
   • Implementation of “Net Environmental Gain” (Target 15.2): The inclusion and application of the “net environmental gain” provision, where logging must be offset by nature restoration, serves as an indicator of progress towards sustainable management.
   • Protection of Threatened Species (Target 15.5): An indicator is the formal inclusion of protections for “threatened species” within the new National Environmental Standards. The effectiveness of these protections would be a long-term measure of progress.

2. Indicators for SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

   • Establishment of New Environmental Body (Target 16.6): The successful establishment and operationalization of the proposed “new Environment Protection Authority” is a direct, measurable indicator of institutional reform.
   • Closing of Legal Loopholes (Target 16.6): The successful removal of the exemption for RFAs from the federal EPBC Act is a specific indicator of creating more effective and accountable environmental laws.

3. Indicators for SDG 13 (Climate Action)

   • Inclusion of Climate Reporting in Legislation (Target 13.2): The presence or absence of “climate reporting obligations for proponents of new projects” in the final version of the bill is a clear, binary indicator of whether climate change measures have been integrated into this specific national policy.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: abc.net.au