State of the Environment

By Wendy Cavenett, Elizabeth Tower and Pauline Bernard

Last month, Australia’s long-awaited State of the Environment report was released. As many expected, it chronicles the terrifying accelerating loss of Australia’s flora and fauna, and the declining health of our lands and oceans. It also details the scale of the challenge governments, industry and citizens face in finding ways to reverse the deteriorating state of our environment “now considered a threat to humanity,” states the report, “which could bring about societal collapses.”

In this blog we offer an overview of the State of the Environment (SoE) report, outlining its approach, aims, and key findings. We also discuss the Climate Change Act (Vic.) 2017, as well as Victoria’s Social Procurement Framework and Climate Change Action. 

SoE: Overview

Some sobering facts from the SoE report

• Environmental degradation is being hastened by a climate that has warmed Australia’s average land temperature by 1.4 degrees since the early 20th century
• Australia’s “Black Summer” fires of 2019-2020 burned more than 8 million hectares of native vegetation and killed or displaced 1-3 billion animals
• Our unique wildlife is being devastated by bushfires, drought, habitat loss and global warming
• Marine heat-waves caused mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017, and 2020
• More than 7 million hectares of habitat for threatened species were cleared between 2000 and 2017 without being assessed under Australia’s environmental conservation laws
• Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent, with the number of new species listed as being ‘under greater threat’ up by 8 per cent in 5 years.

SoE: Aims and approach

Since 1995, the Australian government has released the five-yearly SoE scientific report that aims to help shape policy and action, influence behaviours and assess our actions as stewards of the Australian environment.

For the first time, the new SoE report was written by more than 30 Indigenous and non-Indigenous independent people, and combines scientific, traditional and local knowledge. “This recognises that Indigenous participation in management of land and sea is important to environmental outcomes,” states the report. “This is in line with the objects of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) – promoting a cooperative approach to environmental management.” 

The report’s more holistic approach also explores the link between human wellbeing and the environment for the first time, while increasingly aligning its analysis with the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). This approach includes outcome-based assessments, which provide a common framework that can be used by industry and states and territories.

The report contains an Overview and 12 chapters: Air quality; Antarctica; Biodiversity; *Climate; Coasts; *Extreme events; Heritage; *Indigenous; Inland water; Land; Marine; Urban (* denotes new chapters).

Each chapter has 10 key points that summarise the findings of the chapter as well as five key sections:

1. Outlook and impact
2. Environment
3. Management
4. Pressures
5. Resources.

SoE: Key findings

The SoE report found:

1. In a rapidly changing environment, with unsustainable development and use of resources, the general outlook for our environment is deteriorating.
2. Immediate action with innovative management and collaboration can turn things around
3. Indigenous knowledge and connections to Country are vital for sustainability and healing Australia
4. Environmental decline affects the wellbeing of Australians.

WWF hopes the SoE report will be a "turning point" that leads to greater investment in safeguarding our environment and stronger laws to protect Australia's wildlife and wilderness. Bob Brown, a leader in Australian conservation for decades, echoes these sentiments, calling for urgent action to enable real change - "a change across to renewable energy, to reducing our consumption, and to allowing us to live with this planet, instead of off it."

Victoria’s Climate Change Act

The Climate Change Act (Vic.) 2017 came into effect on 1 November 2017. Establishing the long-term goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the CC Act requires five-yearly interim emission reduction targets to ensure Victoria remains on track to achieve net-zero by 2050.

Data from the Victorian government shows indicates that the latest interim target has been exceeded. According to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), in 2019 Victoria’s emissions fell to 24.8% below 2005 levels, exceeding our Victoria’s 2020 target for a 15-20% reduction.

DELWP information also shows that:

• More than 25% of Victoria’s electricity comes from renewable sources.
• Victoria has 30% of the nation's renewable energy employment.
• Melbourne trams are powered by 100% solar electricity.
• 277,000 households improved their energy efficiency through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program in 2019.  

DELWP leads the Victorian government response to climate change, including:

• reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• adapting to the impacts of a changing climate
• supporting the economic and social transition to a net-zero emissions and climate resilient future.

Social Procurement Framework and Climate Change Action

Suppliers submitting tenders to the Victorian government are required to respond to evaluation criteria relating to the Victorian Social Procurement Framework (SPF).

Through the SPF, suppliers to government are encouraged to take action on climate change and respond to SPF objectives including:

• Environmentally sustainable outputs
• Environmentally sustainable business practices
• Implementation of the Climate Change Policy Objectives.

The SPF identifies two sustainable outcomes corresponding to the SPF objective of implementing climate change policy objectives - Government buyers are encouraged to:

• specify project-specific requirements to minimise greenhouse gas emissions
• procure outputs that are resilient against the impacts of climate change.

Further detail on how these outcomes can be achieved in a variety of different public sector procurements is provided on the Buying for Victoria website.

The Federal Department of Finance advises that “in conducting a procurement, officials must take into account all relevant costs and benefits over the entire life of the procurement. Environmental sustainability of the proposed goods and services and climate change impacts should be considered as part of this total cost assessment.”

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RESOURCES

SoE

• State of the Environment Address – Tanya Pliberseck, National Press Club
• The Murray-Darling Basin Plan
• The Samuel Review – The Independent review of the EPBC Act

Procurement

• Federal Department of Finance – Buying for the Australian Government – Incorporating Sustainability

Victoria

• Buying for Victoria - Detailed guidance for implementation of climate change policy objectives
• DELWP – Climate Ready Economy and Community
• Victorian Government Action on Climate Change

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A participant in the UN Global Compact, CourtHeath seeks to raise awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of the Global Compact with business and government organisations in Victoria.

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IMAGE: Wind farm, Victoria, Australia. Used under licence from shutterstock.com