Nature, climate in “deep trouble” as NSW dumps waste equal to three small cars a year, per person

More scorching days over 35°C are on the horizon, hundreds of species are considered threatened and a landfill crisis is looming with rubbish piling up rapidly, a “truly alarming” report shows.

The State of the Environment 2024, released every three years by the NSW Environment Protection Authority, found each person in the most populous state generated an average of 2.7 tonnes of waste in 2022-23.

That’s the equivalent of about three small cars being thrown out.

Authority chief executive Tony Chappel praised the marked jump in renewable energy powering 34 per cent of NSW’s electricity, compared to less than 20 per cent five years ago.

But he warned about “serious” environmental concerns particularly biodiversity loss and waste management.

There were now 1018 threatened species, an increase of 36 since 2020, the report found.

More hot days over 35C are expected as well as severe fire weather and extreme rainfall adding to the slew of catastrophic flood events that have pummelled NSW in recent years.

Plastic litter has dropped by 55 per cent, smashing the 2025 target of a 30 per cent reduction, but greater Sydney’s landfill capacity is projected to run out by 2030.

Waste generation has outpaced population growth, rising from 18.7 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 22.4 million tonnes in 2022-23.

Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the 676-page report tabled in parliament on Thursday was not all doom and gloom despite the sizeable climate challenges facing the state.

The latest figures show NSW is on track to cut emissions by 46 per cent in 2030 and 62 per cent in 2035.

Legislated climate targets for NSW are to reach 50 per reduction by 2030, 70 per cent by 2035, and net zero by 2050.

“Our first priority is to reduce emissions by 50 per cent by 2030,” she said.

“We are very close – only four per cent off with five years to go. But we aren’t naive. Meeting our targets will be hard.”

The Climate Council said the state government was making strong progress to cut climate pollution but NSW couldn’t afford any more extensions being granted to polluting coal and gas projects.

However, other environmental groups such as the Nature Conservation Council of NSW said the report made for a “truly alarming” read.

“Nature in NSW is in deep trouble and those in power are failing to turn this alarming trajectory around,” council chief executive Jacqui Mumford said.

“Our state’s environment is being mismanaged and until the developers, irrigators and logging companies are kicked out of government back-rooms, nothing will change.”

Source: AAP