WA Tests World-First Green Export Targets for Climate Action

Western Australia is charting an unconventional path in the fight against climate change, becoming the first government anywhere to set targets for green commodity exports.

Under proposed legislation, WA will measure climate progress through renewable energy generation, green exports like clean steel and alumina, and carbon capture. The shift represents a dramatic reimagining of how governments can tackle decarbonization while building economic resilience.

The state's Clean Energy Powerhouse Bill moves away from traditional emissions reduction targets that other Australian states use. Instead, it focuses on transforming WA into what climate economist Frank Jotzo calls a "renewable energy superpower."

The green export concept is genuinely innovative. WA would set targets for the volume of commodities made with renewable energy and sold internationally, from steel to alumina. No other jurisdiction has tried legislating this approach before.

Professor Jotzo, who advised the government on the strategy, said establishing green export industries would strengthen the state's economic future. The approach acknowledges that WA's resource-rich economy can lead the global transition to clean materials rather than simply measuring what it's reducing.

The state is already making moves. A clean steel facility in Kwinana represents the kind of industry transformation WA hopes to accelerate, though experts note the technology still needs refinement to achieve truly fossil-free production.

The Ripple Effect

The government's broader environmental record shows the strategy shift isn't happening in isolation. WA has ended native forest logging, committed to exiting state-owned coal generation by 2030, and undertaken the state's largest conservation estate expansion in history.

These actions represent concrete progress even as the measurement approach evolves. The federal government's strengthened safeguard mechanism now regulates industrial emissions across Australia, creating a national framework that didn't exist when WA first proposed climate legislation in 2023.

Renewable energy targets, long advocated by climate groups, will be included in the new bill. Most Australian jurisdictions already have them, and WA's addition closes a significant gap in the state's climate toolkit.

The carbon capture and storage targets remain controversial among some climate advocates. WA hosts the world's largest such project, and while the technology faces challenges, supporters see it as necessary for hard-to-decarbonize industries during the transition period.

Climate scientist Bill Hare emphasizes that emissions tracking remains essential for accountability. The federal net-zero target by 2050 provides an overarching goal, though he notes interim benchmarks help governments stay on track.

The state government says the regulatory landscape has fundamentally changed since 2023. Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson's office pointed to the federal safeguard mechanism as evidence that emissions are now being addressed through national policy, allowing states to focus on complementary approaches.

Whether green export targets prove as effective as traditional emissions measures will become clear as the legislation takes shape. Professor Jotzo acknowledged that further work is needed to understand implementation and feasibility, suggesting the approach will evolve based on real-world results.

The underlying question is whether measuring green production achieves the same climate outcomes as measuring emissions reductions. WA is betting that transforming what it makes and how it makes it will drive down emissions as a natural consequence.

For a state built on resource extraction, reimagining that foundation around renewable-powered production represents a significant economic gamble with environmental implications. The world will be watching to see if the experiment works.