Browsing: <a href="/tag/qld">Queensland</a> <i class="grey">•</i> <a href="/tag/carbon-law-policy-nger">Carbon law, policy/NGER</a>

Labor states and territories have agreed to work together in a 'non-partisan effort' to decarbonise the economy, according to ACT Environment Minister Simon Corbell.

If Labor takes office after Saturday's election, Queensland's laws on impact assessment, planning, water, waste and offsets will likely change, and so too might the approach to drafting and enforcing environmental legislation.

Policy changes and uncertainty have already led to job losses and more will follow, according to peak bodies representing the carbon, clean energy and environmental industries.

In a year of huge regulatory change for environmental managers, the Federal Government has started the process of handing core environmental responsibilities to states and abolishing carbon charges for large emitters, while all governments began targeting 'green tape'.

• Ports Corporation amends dredging plans for Abbot Point
  
• Climate Change Authority to host carbon targets webinar tomorrow
  
• Company subject to bushfire order fined for harm to threatened species

• Four councils added to carbon-liable list
  
• Queensland to legislate 10-year ban on dredging outside five port zones
  
• Orica seeks NSW EPA approval for licence changes
  
• EPBC science committee details approach to regional assessments

In choosing not to have a minister with a title that includes the phrase 'climate change', Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott has plenty of precedent.

Official estimates of how many tonnes of greenhouse gas must be abated to achieve a 5% target are now laughably over-stated, says the ANU's Andrew Macintosh, who also warns Queensland's wind-back of land clearing laws will cause an emissions spike.

The Clean Energy Regulator on Friday removed Gladstone Regional Council from the list of carbon-liable entities, thanks to its deployment of landfill gas capture technology that will also earn it CFI carbon credits.

Federal, state and territory ministers have recommended against establishing a permanent COAG body to deal specifically with climate change.