The Federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) is developing Australia’s Net Zero Plan to articulate how major sectors will transition to a net zero economy by 2050. It is expected to set out government priorities, policies and measures to drive down emissions and support investment in low emissions and renewable activities.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is leading this work in coordination with DISR and other departments.
Six sectoral emissions reduction plans will support the Net Zero Plan. DISR is developing 3 of these plans:
- Industrial sector plan – to focus on subsectors that represent the need for decarbonisation, and most impacted by the economy’s transition to net zero.
The Industrial sector plan will cover:
- alumina and aluminium
- waste and resource recovery
- chemicals and plastics
- iron and steel
- cement and concrete
- food and beverages
- pulp and paper
- manufacturing
- metals refining and smelting
- synthetic greenhouse gases.
- Resources sector plan – this plan will cover:
- oil and gas extraction and processing
- liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction
- coal mining
- mining of metals and non-metal minerals
- on-site processing of ores
- resource exploration and support services.
- Built environment sector plan
The built environment encompasses buildings, structures, parks and water infrastructure. This includes around 11 million private dwellings and 1 million commercial buildings across Australia.
The plan will take a holistic approach to emissions reduction in the built environment. This includes reducing:
- emissions associated with operating buildings (for example, heating, cooling and lighting)
- embodied emissions in the construction material used in buildings.
The Plan will focus on ensuring Australia has a liveable and resilient built environment and an equitable transition to net zero.
The 3 Sector Plans will consider any cross-cutting and sector-specific issues. These include:
- valuing emissions reduction
- removing blockers to action
- growing social equity through the transition
- working internationally.
The Sectoral Plans will also consider key enabling technologies to support emissions reductions or removals.
