Australia has approved more than 700 oil, gas and coal projects since 2000.[1] In May, federal approval was granted for the Woodside North West Shelf project, a major expansion of gas production off the coast of Western Australia.[1] The Scarborough project, approved for development off the coast of Western Australia, is expected to produce 876 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over its lifetime, causing an average global warming of 0.00039°C.[3] By 2049, emissions from the Scarborough project will account for almost half (49%) of Australia's annual CO2 emissions budget.[3] In December 2024, the Australian government approved four new coal mines at Boggabri, Caval Ridge, Lake Vermont and Meadowbrook.[2] In 2020, an independent review found Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act ineffective.[5] New environmental reforms introduce a National Environmental Protection Agency from July 2026 and tighten rules on fossil fuels, including mandatory approval of water use.[4]