NSW Government climate change action

Prepare NSW for unavoidable changes in our climate

The NSW Climate Impact Profile is the first integrated assessment of the biophysical changes projected for the state as a result of climate change. The profile outlines some of the risks NSW faces and is an aid to decision-makers developing their planning and response strategies.

NSW climate change adaptation programs aim to build the resilience of the state's natural environment, economy and communities by:

• helping communities adapt (including assessing the vulnerability to climate change of regional communities
• preparing Sydney for climate change impacts
• protecting ecosystems and natural resources
• managing water resources.

NSW 2021: A plan to make NSW number one outlines priority actions to assist local government, business and the community build resilience to future extreme events and hazards by helping them understand and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

• The NSW Government has commenced assessing regional vulnerabilities to extreme weather events. This will assist in delivering locally based adaptation programs. Regional vulnerability assessments are under way in the South East and Riverina-Murray. 
  
• The Government is also delivering local-scale projections of future changes in temperature, rainfall and other climate variables for the whole of the state. This is being done through a multi-agency research partnership with the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of NSW.

For more information on these programs, visit the adapting to climate change page.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in NSW

The NSW Government is assisting the community and economy to adjust to the Australian Government’s carbon tax. In this context, the Government is working to deliver economically efficient and environmentally effective policies and programs that do not duplicate initiatives of the Australian Government including:

• understanding NSW emissions sources and trends
• providing financial support through the Climate Change Fund
• promoting energy efficiency
• promoting clean and renewable energy
• Promoting low-carbon agriculture and carbon sequestration
• encouraging waste avoidance and resource recovery and the reduction of emissions from waste disposal and landfill

Plans

NSW 2021 sets the Government’s agenda for change in NSW. The plan provides the direction for the public sector for the next 10 years. Its goals, targets and actions will be integrated into the machinery of government, setting the priorities for funding, guiding decisions and focusing the day-to-day work of the public sector.

We will assist local government, business and communities to build their resilience to future extreme events and hazards by helping them understand and minimise the impacts of climate change. Actions to deliver on this target include:

• completion of fine-scale climate change projections for NSW and make them available to local councils and the public by 2014
• work with government agencies and universities to deliver improved climate projections for NSW and the ACT.

NSW 2021 also sets goals and targets that support practical action to tackle climate change including:

• 20% renewable energy by 2020
• assistance for businesses and households to realise annual energy savings of 16,000 gigawatt-hours by 2020 compared with ‘business as usual’ trends
• support for 220,000 low-income households to reduce their energy use by up to 20% by June 2014
• an Increase in the share of commuter trips made by public transport, including increasing the proportion of total journeys to work by public transport in the Sydney Metropolitan Region to 28% by 2016
• targets to increase walking and cycling
• planning policy to encourage job growth in centres close to where people live and to provide access by public transport.

The NSW Government Sustainability Policy sets targets and strategies to improve the Government’s efficiency in use of water, energy and transport. The policy provides an important step for the NSW Government to meet its commitment to become carbon-neutral by 2020.

For more information, visit  the chronology of key NSW climate change initiatives.

Other resources

• Who Cares about the Environment? is social research that measures the environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of the people of NSW through surveys and focus groups.
• Sustaining our Environment describes OEH’s environmental sustainability programs.
• Let’s Clear the Air is a website for initiatives and partnerships to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in NSW.
• Save Power - What can you do in your world? provides information about how using electricity impacts our environment and what can be done to save power and lower power bills.
• Living sustainably: Our environment - it's a living thing is the NSW Government’s overarching environmental education program, a statewide initiative to motivate and encourage people to adopt environmentally sustainable lifestyles.
• The Water For Life Metropolitan Water Plan is designed to ensure sufficient water for people and the environment – with one not more important than the other
• The Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036 released in December 2010 includes a chapter on climate change outlining the NSW Government’s priorities and strategies for tackling climate change in Sydney.
• Climate change and Sydney's water balance is the only research to date that has tried to determine the potential impacts of climate change on greater Sydney’s water supply and demand.