New South Wales will reportedly become the first Australian state to treat carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as pollutants, which will ultimately force polluters to devise strategies to reduce emissions. The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) announced an eight-week consultation period for its proposed climate change policy and plan of action. It is the initial step towards the trajectory of polluters having net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The US EPA's policy on greenhouse emissions, which includes fines and imprisonment among the penalties, was the model for some of the EPA's policies. The commission would then start in-depth discussions with each economic sector about how they would reduce emissions and prove to be ready for potential climate impacts.

Source: The Guardian September 10, 2022 18:26 UTC