Authority overview | |
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Formed | 1 July 2012 |
Jurisdiction | Australia |
Headquarters | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory[1] |
Employees | 65[2] |
Annual budget | A$2.6 million[2] |
Minister responsible | |
Authority executives | |
Parent department | Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |
Key document |
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Website | climatechangeauthority |
The Climate Change Authority (CCA) is an Australian Government statutory agency responsible for providing independent advice to government on climate change policy. It was established by and operates under the Climate Change Authority Act 2011, and commenced operations on 1 July 2012. It was set up by the government of Julia Gillard and has withstood concerted efforts to disestablish it.[5] The Abbott government campaigned for the CCA's abolition, having dissolved the Climate Commission.
The Authority is a non-corporate entity without legislative or executive powers, which remain with the Government and Parliament of the day. The Authority's responsibilities include conducting periodic legislative reviews of the Emissions Reduction Fund and the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting scheme, as well as carrying out special reviews as requested by the Minister responsible for climate change or the Australian Parliament. It may also undertake self-initiated research on matters related to climate change.
Prior to amendments made by the Australian Parliament in 2014 and 2015, the Authority was required to review Australia's greenhouse gas emission caps, the indicative national emissions trajectory and national carbon budget, progress in achieving Australia's emissions reduction targets and national carbon budget, the Renewable Energy Target and the emissions trading scheme, the last of which has been discontinued.[6] Members of the Authority are entitled to write dissenting minority reports, and often do so.
In 2011, prime minister Julia Gillard set up an independent, Reserve Bank-like Climate Change Authority to advise on the carbon price and emissions targets, initially chaired by a former governor of the Reserve Bank. Astoundingly, despite attempts to abolish it, it still exists. It might yet have work to do.