Climate Change

We are in a climate crisis and environmental collapse is rapidly approaching unless emissions are quickly reduced to zero. Despite this, Western Australia's emissions continue to increase and the state remains one of the world’s top exporters of Liquified Natural Gas, a dangerous fossil fuel. The Greens (WA) recognise that climate change disproportionately affects the most disadvantaged in the community. Western Australia must do its fair share in contributing to national and global emission reduction efforts and adaptive strategies, and lead in a just transition towards a zero-carbon society. Climate change is an existential threat that is already here. We demand urgent action and a whole-of-government response.

Also see Principles in the Australian Greens Climate and Energy policy (here)

Aims

The Greens (WA) want: 

  • a rapid reduction in WA’s emissions of all greenhouse gases (GHG’s), without limitation, consistent with the Paris Accord
  • no new fossil fuel development and the phasing out of Western Australia’s domestic and exported fossil fuels industries, commencing at once
  • drawdown of CO2 through real negative emissions solutions by increasing soil carbon and biodiversity, and by the preservation of natural carbon sinks and water resources
  • a transition to a zero-carbon economy based on renewable energy and energy efficiency, aiming for a net-zero target by 2035
  • the immediate implementation of adaptation strategies and programs for current and future climate change impacts (see Greens Climate Resilience policy) 
  • the cost of addressing climate change to be shared in a fair way with the biggest polluters paying the most, ensuring an equitable and progressive distribution of the financial costs of reducing greenhouse emissions, adapting to climate change, and transitioning the economy
     

Measures

Greens (WA) will initiate and support legislation and actions that:

Rapid Reduction in Emission

  • legislate GHG emissions reductions targets for 2030, 2035 (and beyond if required), that align with the Paris Accord and limiting global warming to 1.5°C
  • establish an expert independent advisory body on climate change, appropriately resourced and supported, through which the WA government will:
    • report on WA’s progress against GHG emission reduction targets, including oversight of accurate measurement of same
    • seek advice on probable climate, environmental and societal impacts in respect of every state-based development and planning decision and every proposed state agreement, including extensions of any such agreement
    • publish that advice in the WA Government Gazette

The Phase-Out of Fossil Fuels

  • require the WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to consider GHG phaseouts when assessing fossil fuel proposals
  • immediately introduce and enforce regulations on, without limitation, venting and flaring on oil and gas facilities, methane leak detection and repair standards, including during the transportation and export of LNG
  • end direct and indirect subsidies to fossil fuel energy producers and promote development of long-term, efficient and renewable energy technologies
  • ban coal, oil and gas exploration and exploitation, and support the phase-out of existing operations
  • end the development of coal-seam, shale or tight gas-field industries in WA, recognising the threats these pose to our water, land, communities, tourism and agricultural industries, and to our climate
  • oppose the use of fossil fuels as a source of hydrogen, and as energy for the manufacture of ammonia and fertilisers, in favour of hydrogen produced by renewable-powered electrolysis of water
  • prohibit any Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) or Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) developments that are part of the expansion or extension of fossil fuel projects, or constitute part of a new fossil fuel project
  • require full, open and transparent annual disclosure of GHG emissions from all stages of fossil fuel extraction, processing and export, including fugitive emissions
  • confirm fossil fuel producers comply with all state and federal licence conditions relating to mitigations of carbon pollution and imposes penalties for breaches
  • ban fossil fuel industries from providing financial support to political parties, as well as cultural, educational and sporting entities in the form of sponsorship, lobbying and advertising

Greenhouse Gas Drawdown

  • support the expansion of endemic forest, woodlands and certain ecologically beneficial plantations to maximise photosynthetic carbon sequestration (see also The Greens (WA) Forests & Woodlands and Plantations & Farm Forestry policies)
  • support the revegetation of marginal and degraded agricultural land with suitable local endemic species, with the aim of drawing down carbon and nitrous oxide emissions as well as improving ecological health (see the Greens (WA) Agriculture policy)
  • prohibit the use of carbon offsets that extend GHG emissions
  • ensure that only real negative emissions solutions are utilised (which includes reforestation, soil carbon and CO2 removal such as direct air capture), through legislated and recognised standards, including monitoring the efficacy of draw-down measures
  • ensure the preservation of natural carbon sequestration and storage capacity in soils, forests, marine seagrass, kelp, swamps and mangrove beds, along with funding to support restoration and growth of these natural carbon sinks

Transition to a Zero-Carbon Economy

  • legislate Renewable Energy Targets (RET) for 2030, 2035 (and beyond if required) that align with the emissions reduction targets aiming for a net-zero target by 2035
  • ensure a just transition for communities currently dependent on fossil fuel industries to alternative economies, including support for the complete phaseout of coalfired power generation in Collie prior to 2030, while providing well-resourced support for the Collie community to transition to alternative sustainable employment and lifestyles
  • ensure that workers in the fossil fuel production sector such as Collie have access to retraining and high quality, unionised jobs in the emerging sustainable economy (see Greens (WA) Workplace Relations policy)
  • support WA to lead in renewable energy production and zero carbon technology research, innovation and manufacturing
  • support energy efficiency measures from household to industry level to minimise energy demand to a level of sufficiency (see Greens (WA) Energy policy for details)
  • develop green energy export industries for WA that respect First Nations land rights and ecological boundaries
  • expand and improve public transport networks, facilitate and support electric vehicle (EV) uptake, and enhance cycling and pedestrian opportunities
  • support and facilitate the transition of freight transport from road to rail (see The Greens (WA) Transport policy)

Financial Cost

  • legislate a 10% Clean Energy Transition Levy on the gross revenue made from existing WA gas projects processed onshore, earmarked solely to pay for WA’s transition into a renewable energy superpower and to remediate the increasing climate damage that WA is suffering
  • establish a ‘Loss and Damage Fund’ funded by WA’s largest polluters to ensure that our communities bearing the brunt of climate damage can rebuild and adapt
  • legislate a requirement for companies and the directors of deregistered or liquidated companies to wholly attend to decommissioning and rehabilitation of fossil fuel production and processing sites referable to them, with this requirement
  • explicit in any contractual documents from the outset (see also Greens (WA) Resource Mining policy)
  • mandate industry contributions to a government-administered deposit fund that will fully cover the costs of decommissioning and rehabilitation of fossil fuel production and processing sites if companies fail to uphold their obligations

Glossary

  1. Sufficiency is a policy and lifestyle approach that seeks to reduce overall consumption and production of energy, materials, and other natural resources to ensure well-being for all within planetary boundaries.

Climate Change policy ratified by The Greens (WA) in 2026

The Greens (WA) spokesperson for Climate Change is Sophie McNeill MLC