NSW Environmental Protection Agency NSW Government
 

Climate change survey

We surveyed our environment protection licensees during August and September 2024. The survey collected information to help us understand how to support them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of climate change on their operations.

The survey results will inform changes to our regulatory approach that are sensible and effective. It supports Action 5(a) of our Climate Action Plan 2023–26.

The EPA's climate change survey results are now available.

In January 2023, we released our climate change policy and action plan. These documents outline a comprehensive regulatory approach and set of actions to address the causes and consequences of climate change in NSW.

We are supporting and building on the NSW Government’s climate change policies and initiatives, helping industry to decarbonise and build greater preparedness and resilience to climate change risks. Our focus is on enabling and supporting best practice and building collaborative processes to ensure any actions we take are meaningful, feasible and cost-effective.

Survey objectives

Listen and understand

We listened to our licensees to help us understand:

  • how progressed our licensees (and the sector more broadly) are at managing physical climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions at their facility
  • actions our licensees are already taking to understand their exposure to these risks, and to identify and quantify their emissions
  • actions our licensees are already taking to report on and manage these risks and emissions
  • existing support that licensees have found helpful, any current challenges, and/or further opportunities for better managing these risks and emissions.

Inform and support

Information we get from the survey is helping us to:

  • build sector profiles
  • identify where we might need to fill gaps in our licensees’ climate change knowledge and expertise
  • understand the challenges our licensees are facing in managing climate risks and/or reducing emissions
  • develop effective and meaningful guidance and requirements to support our licensees as they develop Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Plans
  • further develop our regulatory approaches, to complement reporting and other obligations that already exist at State and Commonwealth level, where possible
  • identify where additional guidance and support is needed to help our licensees develop and implement effective risk management and emissions abatement opportunities.

We also included supporting information within the survey to:

  • help raise our licensees’ general awareness about:
    • climate change matters
    • publicly available guidance, programs, initiatives, and funding that may help our licensees to manage their climate risks and reduce their emissions
  • ensure our licensees are aware of the EPA’s Climate Change Policy and Action Plan and the EPA’s evolving regulatory response.

Survey overview

The survey had 8 parts:

  1. Submitter details
  2. Operating details about the facility
  3. Climate hazards
    • Local climate hazards, management challenges and commitments
  4. Climate risk management
    • Identification and reporting of physical climate risks
    • Adaptation measures to manage climate risks
  5. Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions
    • Existing obligations to report emissions
    • How emissions are quantified
    • Identification of major emissions sources
    • Fuel usage, electricity usage, if emissions are not quantified
  6. Management of greenhouse gas emissions
    • Existing obligations and actions taken to manage emissions
    • Emissions reduction plans and targets
    • Implementation of emission reduction opportunities
  7. Additional Information (Optional)
    • Other information relevant to management of climate risks and/or emissions
  8. Sign off and submission

Identification and quantification of greenhouse gas emissions – Commonwealth

Reducing emissions – Commonwealth

Reducing emissions – NSW Government

Government legislation, policy and strategy
Programs, grants and schemes available to business and industry

Programs, grants and schemes | NSW Climate and Energy Action

Courses, guides and support

Reducing climate risks - NSW Government

Local Government

Sustainable councils
Courses, guides and support

ABN

Australian Business Number

ACN

Australian Company Number

Action Plan

EPA’s Climate Change Action Plan 2023-26

Adaptation

Climate change adaptation. The adjustment to the actual or expected effects of climate change

CCMAPs

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Plans (under the EPA Climate Change Action Plan 2023–26)

CDP

Carbon Disclosure Project

Climate Hazard

A physical event (hydro-meteorological or oceanographic) that can harm human health, livelihoods, or natural resources.

CDSB

Climate Disclosure Standards Board

CO2-e

Greenhouse gas emission estimates are expressed as 'carbon dioxide equivalent' (CO2-e) to account for the different global warming potentials of each gas compared to CO2.

DPE

Department of Planning and Environment (NSW)

EPL

Environment Protection Licence (under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997)
Facility Licensed premises to undertake a scheduled activity under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997

Fugitive emissions

Emissions that are not from a point source: e.g. from a coal seam or the surface of a landfill

Greenhouse Gas (GHG)

Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and some synthetic gases.

GRI

Global Reporting Initiative

ISSB

International Sustainability Standards Board

NARCliM

NSW and Australian Regional Climate Modelling

NGERS

National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (Commonwealth)

OECC

Office of Energy and Climate Change (NSW)

Organisation

A company, local council, state-owned corporation or public authority

POEO Act

Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW)

Safeguard Facility

A facility that is captured by the Commonwealth Safeguard Mechanism, with scope 1 emissions of more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) per year
 SBTI Science Based Targets Initiative

Scope 1 emissions

Emissions released as a direct result of an activity or series of activities at a facility level. Sometimes called direct emissions

Scope 2 emissions

Emissions released from the indirect consumption of an energy commodity

Scope 3 emissions

Indirect emissions generated in the wider economy. They occur as a consequence of activities at a facility, but by sources not owned or controlled by the facility's business.

TCFD

Task Force on Climate Change Related Financial Disclosure

The climate change survey has now concluded. During the survey period, we provided our licensees with several ways to get help. This included the following FAQs: