A full-page advertisement published this morning by the Australia Institute warns that government policies and actions are overwhelmingly “nature negative” despite the NSW and Federal governments co-hosting the world’s first “Global Nature Positive Summit” in Sydney today.

Published this morning in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times, the advertisement highlights that Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek approved extensions to three major coal mines covering an area almost the size of Sydney just weeks before the summit.

Key points:

• Australia formally adopted the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022, committing to achieving “nature positivity” by halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. In a statement on the Global Nature Positive Summit, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has said that Australia has made “good progress” on becoming nature positive, stating that “the Australian Government is doing more than ever to make our economy nature positive”.
• Just two weeks before the summit the Australian Government approved three new coal mine projects that had already received prior approval by the NSW Government, covering an area almost the size of Sydney.
• Australia Institute analysis shows that these projects will result in 1.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and directly impact threatened species and ecosystems, including the Glossy Black Cockatoo, Grey Box Ironbark Woodland, Hunter Valley Delma and Box Gum Woodland.
• Previous Australia Institute analysis shows that since the 2022 election, the Albanese Government has approved seven coal projects and approved drilling of more than 200 new gas wells. Both the NSW and Federal governments have refused to end native forest logging despite making commitments to protect threatened species.
• Further information on coal mine approvals can be found on the Australia Institute’s Coal Mine Tracker.

“Halting nature loss is fundamental to the entire concept of ‘nature positive’. No government that is actively approving habitat destruction can claim they are making good progress on a nature positive economy,” said Polly Hemming, Director of The Australia Institute’s Climate and Energy Program.

“Minister Plibersek has stated that ‘transitioning from nature destruction to nature repair will require a mighty global effort’ but her government is still actively causing that destruction.

“The Australian Government is also hoping to host a UN climate conference in 2026 in partnership with Pacific Island nations. It is unfortunate that our governments appear to be spending far more time organising conferences to talk about climate and biodiversity than actually doing anything about them.

“The first steps to demonstrating a genuine commitment to a nature positive economy and protecting Australia’s extraordinary and fragile ecosystems is for the Australian Government to stop subsidising and approving harm.”