Taking action to mitigate and adapt to climate change is shared responsibility between government, business, the education sector and the community. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) supports the Directions for a Climate Smart South Australia and implementation of the South Australian Government Climate Change Action Plan 2021–2025 (Climate Change Action Plan). The EPA is committed to several actions within the Climate Change Action Plan.

• The 2021 EPA Board Summit, Climate change: risks, liabilities and remedies, brought business leaders and experts together to share their knowledge and raise awareness of risks and opportunities for small to medium businesses. Event polling indicated that while some small to medium businesses have started to adapt, or are likely to take adaptation action, they would benefit from tools and information to support their responses.
• The Directions for a Climate Smart South Australia, released in 2019, is a policy statement that sets the government’s agenda for practical, on-ground action to address climate-related impacts. The Climate Change Action Plan, released December 2020, implements the Directions for a Climate Smart South Australia. It describes the government-led objectives and actions to help to build a strong, climate smart economy, further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support South Australia to adapt to a changing climate. Its development was led by the Department for Environment and Water.

This position statement outlines the EPA’s approach to its role in climate change adaptation including a clear and robust regulatory framework to help businesses become more resilient, prepare for more frequent extreme weather events and reduce waste to enable the advantages of a more circular economy.