Media Releases

11 January 2023

Zali Steggall MP welcomes the Governments improvements to the Safeguard Mechanism but believes there is room for more ambitious targets if we aim to reach Net Zero by 2050. Steggall said:

“These updates show promise by placing an overall cap on emissions but fall short by not setting higher decline rates and allowing unfettered use of carbon offsets to achieve reductions.”

Key comments:

• Impressed there will be a cap on total emissions for safeguard facilities, this will have the most meaningful impact in terms of controlling total emissions from our largest polluters and restricting new entrants.
  
  
• Disappointed the new mechanism allows for unfettered use of offsets to achieve reductions
  
  
• Welcomed the 30% reduction of emissions from Safeguard facilities by 2030 but would have preferred that it was a 30% from 2005 levels like all other emissions.
  
  
• Pleased to see adjustments to baselines for emissions for Safeguard facilities and that new facilities will have baselines set in accordance with global best practice.
  
  
• Welcomed the initiative to set 5-year budgets for safeguard facilities post 2030 in line with the carbon budgeting approach proposed in my Climate Change Bill
  
  

To view more detail about the updates click here

To review my recommendations for amendments to the Safeguard Mechanism click here.