Biodiversity is in catastrophic decline. Here are three ways to ensure Australia’s conservation law actually works | Atticus Fleming and Andrew Macintosh

The Guardian
The Guardian
2M ago
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Australia's government has extended the exemption for native forest logging, despite a catastrophic decline in biodiversity. This decision undermines efforts to protect threatened species and ecosystems.
Biodiversity is in catastrophic decline. Here are three ways to ensure Australia’s conservation law actually works | Atticus Fleming and Andrew Macintosh
A What happened
Australia's parliament is considering reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act), yet the government has extended the exemption for native forest logging. This decision comes amid widespread acknowledgment of the catastrophic decline in biodiversity across the country. The EPBC Act was initially a significant reform, granting the federal environment minister authority over actions affecting matters of national environmental significance, including threatened species and heritage sites. However, enforcement has been lax, with many actions breaching the act without consequences. Critics argue that the reform process fails to address key issues, such as the need for stricter regulations on land-clearing and the removal of logging exemptions. Proposed key performance indicators include reducing remnant vegetation clearing to near zero and implementing a carbon price for large greenhouse gas-emitting projects. Without substantial changes, the reforms are unlikely to reverse the ongoing decline in Australia's biodiversity.

Key insights

  • 1

    Biodiversity at Risk: Australia faces one of the highest extinction rates globally, threatening numerous species.

  • 2

    Weak Enforcement: Current laws are poorly enforced, allowing harmful activities without penalties.

  • 3

    Need for Regulation: Stricter regulations on land-clearing are essential to protect native forests.

Takeaways

Without significant reforms to the EPBC Act and stricter enforcement of environmental protections, Australia's biodiversity crisis is likely to worsen, leading to further species extinction and habitat loss.

Topics

World & Politics Policy & Regulation Climate & Environment Climate Change