COMMENT: The federal government this week released its Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy, through Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. The good news is no doubt timed in a bid to distract us from the delays in nature based laws that this entire industry celebrated and anticipated, which came after the usual expected and tiresome tirades from the mining industry.
Sadly, if this or any government takes on the mining industry – it will have no more luck than Bruce Lehrmann taking on the law or going back for his hat.
If you don’t subscribe to the financial press, you should hear how these people talk.
Here’s a dose:
The Albanese government unveiled a new environmental watchdog but delayed indefinitely an overhaul of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, following warnings from the Western Australian Labor government of a backlash in the electorally critical state.In a move that pleased miners and angered green groups, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek staggered the implementation of the so-called Nature Positive Plan by announcing only the establishment of the promised Environment Protection Agency.
Earlier this month, The Australian Financial Review revealed WA Labor Premier Roger Cook had lobbied Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ms Plibersek against imposing another layer of “green tape” on the cash cows of the economy, and urged them to break the Nature Positive Plan into stages by delaying the EPBC overhaul and consulting further.
Mr Cook had only just fixed the mess his government created with its overbearing (our emphasis) Cultural Heritage Act.
Ms Plibersek said on social media, “We’re giving businesses the confidence to invest in sustainable products – without the green tape.” Sorry, but last we looked, “green tape” was a proxy for quality environmental outcomes that stop polluting industries from killing or maiming us.
“Delivering on an election commitment, today I launched Australia’s first national
It means companies bidding for high-value federal government contracts will have to prove they are sustainable,” Ms Plibersek continued.
“That could mean cutting or repurposing waste or replacing single-use materials with recycled materials.”
- Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ggigzphj
The official statement said: “From 1 July 2024, businesses bidding for government construction services projects above $7.5 million must meet agreed sustainability outcomes. These could include cutting or repurposing waste and replacing single-use materials with recycled materials.
“From 1 July 2025, the policy will extend to tenders for textiles, ICT goods, and furniture, fittings and equipment above $1 million. It may include requirements to recover and recycle worn out uniforms that can be processed into new materials.”
About 60 per cent of Australian government suppliers already collect sustainability data for their products, the statement continued.
The Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group interim report recommends:
- a Productivity Commission Inquiry to investigate how resource efficiency supports economic growth
- developing a National Circular Economy Framework and the power to set specific circularity standards for products and materials
- introducing a national “recycled content first” policy to drive recycled content markets
- setting up sector-based circular economy targets and embedding circular economy principles in key climate policies
It’s actually brilliant news.
And a shame it was muddied by the dominance, once again, of those who feel their agenda is bigger and more important than ours.