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Australia is a strong supporter of the WTO’s trade and environment agenda, including in the Committee on Trade and Environment. Australia has been actively involved in this work since the establishment of the WTO, and recognizes the environmental and sustainability objectives of the WTO in accordance with the Marrakesh Agreement (1994), Ministerial Decision on Trade and Environment (1994) and the Doha Round mandate.

Table 3.11 Exports subject to licensing or other restrictions, 2019
Item: Hazardous waste
Justification: International commitments (Basel Convention, and OECD Council Decision C(92)39)
Measure: Prohibited unless permission has been issued by the Minister for the Environment or an authorized person. The type of permit depends on the country of destination.

During the review period, the COAG initiated, developed, and monitored the implementation of policy reforms of national significance, and concluded ... an Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity to support a collective government approach to biosecurity, covering areas such as trade, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, the environment, social amenities, and human health.[5]

[5] COAG, Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity. Viewed at: https://www.coag.gov.au/sites/default/files/agreements/iga-biosecurity_0.pdf.

The Biosecurity Act, 2015 was amended in 2018 (...) the main purposes of the amendments were to introduce new arrangements regarding the collection of information on the monitoring of, control of, and response to, biosecurity risks within Australia; (...)

The AFZ spans approximately 165 commercial wild-capture fisheries, with about 600 species being caught and traded commercially. (...) Resource management systems have gained ground over the last 15 years.

Coal is the principal source of electricity generation, followed by natural gas and renewable sources. Coal accounted for 36% of installed capacity and 60% of generation in 2016. However, since 2010, the share of coal in installed capacity has declined, while those of wind and solar have increased significantly.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, which call for an increase in aid for trade support to least developed countries (LDCs), the Australian Government set a target in June 2014 to increase Australia's aid for trade investments to 20% of the total aid budget by 2020.

Box 4.2 State drought assistance programmes (June-December 2018)
New South Wales
Farm Innovation Fund: AUD 1 billion (originally AUD 150 million) for loans up to AUD 1 million (...) ensure long-term productivity and sustainable land use (...)

The transaction value method is used in nearly all cases. Instances where other methods are used typically involve situations where no previous sale occurred or the good is of a unique nature (e.g. endangered species or rare antique car).

An increasing amount is being set aside for conservation or protection purposes. About 18% of Australia's land area is currently managed for conservation.[1] The land management policy includes a focus on flexible approaches to grazing management, to reduce erosion and increase productivity, diminishing the use of agricultural chemicals, and more optimal use of fertilizer. (...) In relation to climate change, Australia's primary industries reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 63% between 1996 and 2016.

[1] National Farmers' Federation, Food, Fibre & Forestry Facts, 2017 edition. Viewed at: https://www.nff.org.au/farm-facts.html.