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Review of Tasmania's Climate Change Act

The Climate Change (State Action) Act 2008 (the Act) sets the Tasmanian Government’s legislative framework for action on climate change. The independent review is a four-yearly legislative requirement. 

Draft Bill to amend the Act released for consultation

The Tasmanian Government has prepared a draft Bill to amend the Act in response to the recommendations of the latest independent review of the Act.

Consultation on the draft Bill closed on Sunday 14 November 2021. Learn more about amending the Act.

Tasmanian Government response to the review

The Tasmanian Government has prepared a response to the final report of the review. The response supports all recommendations of the review, either in full or in-principle.

Read the independent review

The most recent independent review was delivered by consulting firm Jacobs, in consultation with the Tasmanian community.

Setting Tasmania's emissions reduction target

The Act currently sets an emissions reduction target to reduce emissions to at least 60 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. A key focus of the review was to consult with industry, business and the community on options to revise Tasmania’s emissions reduction target. Two supporting projects were delivered: an update to Tasmania’s Emissions Pathway Review and a detailed economic analysis of the impacts on industry and employment in relation to a more ambitious net zero emissions target.

Recommendations of the review

The independent review makes the following seven recommendations to amend the Act:

  1. Net zero emissions from 2030
  2. Consolidate the objects of the Act
  3. A set of principles to guide climate action
  4. Relevant Tasmanian Government plans, policies and strategies are guided by climate change
  5. Make a Climate Action Plan a legislative requirement
  6. Statewide climate change risk assessment
  7. Emissions Reduction and Resilience Plans for key sectors

Consultation on the review

As required by the Act, the independent review was carried out in consultation with relevant business, scientific, environment and community bodies, through a series of one-on-one meetings and public online workshops, followed by a public call for written submissions in response to a Discussion Paper.

Thank you to everyone who attended an online workshop or provided a written submission to this consultation process.

Written submissions

Jacobs prepared a Discussion Paper to guide preparation of written submissions. To provide additional information for consultation regarding Tasmania's emissions reduction target, consultancy firms Point Advisory and Indufor developed a Net Zero Emissions Background Paper.

Jacobs received 54 written submissions to the independent review of the Act. Six submissions were submitted confidentially and will not be published. You can read the public submissions below.

Submissions to the independent review of the Act

While we make every effort to publish items in an accessible format, this is not always possible for documents prepared by others. Some of these submissions may not meet accessibility guidelines.

Organisations

  1. Australia Institute Tasmania (PDF 2.79MB)
  2. Australian Energy Council (PDF 206KB)
  3. Australian Medical Association (PDF 647KB)
  4. Break O’Day Council (PDF 165KB)
  5. Brighton Council (PDF 233KB)
  6. Cement Industry Federation (PDF 366KB)
  7. Cement, Concrete & Aggregates Australia (PDF 227KB)
  8. City of Hobart Senior Climate Change Officer (PDF 353KB)
  9. Clean Energy Council (PDF 261KB)
  10. Climate Action North West Tasmania (PDF 131KB)
  11. Climate Tasmania (PDF 2.19MB)
  12. ClimateWorks Australia (PDF 408KB)
  13. Commissioner for Children and Young People (PDF 206KB)
  14. Doctors for the Environment (PDF 1.47MB)
  15. Environmental Defenders Office (PDF 312KB)
  16. Farmers for Climate Action (PDF 235KB)
  17. Hydro Tasmania (PDF 1.2MB)
  18. Launceston Chamber of Commerce (PDF 134KB)
  19. Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) (PDF 350KB)
  20. Natural Impact Group (PDF 345KB)
  21. Private Forests Tasmania / Tree Alliance (PDF 341KB)
  22. Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority (PDF 333KB)
  23. TasCOSS (PDF 1.34MB)
  24. Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (PDF 189KB)
  25. Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council (PDF 328KB)
  26. Tasmanian Way (PDF 202KB)
  27. TasNetworks (PDF 944KB)
  28. The Good Car Co (PDF 378KB)
  29. The Wilderness Society Tasmania (PDF 949KB)
  30. University of Tasmania (UTAS) (PDF 3.82MB)
  31. UTAS Student Environment and Animal Law Society (SEALS) (PDF 816KB)
  32. Veterinarians for Climate Action (PDF 230KB)
  33. Wine Tasmania (PDF 247KB)
  34. WWF Australia (PDF 271KB)

Individuals

  1. Dr Meghan Bond (PDF 112KB)
  2. Robert Cassidy (PDF 132KB)
  3. Pen and Ben Clark (PDF 117KB)
  4. Rosemary Farrell (PDF 2.82MB)
  5. Michelle Foale & Jonah Gouldthorpe (PDF 141KB)
  6. Ann Hamilton (PDF 252KB)
  7. Dr Helen Hutchinson (PDF 130KB)
  8. Catherine Nicholson (PDF 125KB)
  9. Helen Peters (PDF 124KB)
  10. Roy Ramage (PDF 106KB)
  11. Estelle Ross (PDF 79KB)
  12. Margaret Taylor, Alan Taylor, Gil Pixley, Peter Jones (PDF 193KB)
  13. Vanessa Ward (PDF 94KB)
  14. Andrew Wilkie, Member for Clark (PDF 843KB)

Terms of Reference for the independent review

Terms of Reference were prepared to establish the scope of the independent review. As outlined in the Terms of Reference, a key focus of the review will be to consult with the community on setting a new and ambitious net zero greenhouse gas emissions target for Tasmania.

Documents