---
title: Australia amongst first to sign global high seas treaty
description: Australia has become one of the first in the world to sign a legally binding biodiversity pact for the high seas
---
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au)
[](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy)
The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
# Australia amongst first to sign global high seas treaty
Thursday, 21 September 2023
Australia has become one of the first in the world to sign a legally binding, landmark biodiversity pact for the high seas which addresses an astonishing lack of protection for parts of the ocean that lie over 200 nautical miles offshore. Greenpeace CEO David Ritter has praised this development but said the Australian government must also accept that ongoing support for fossil fuels is severely hurting marine environments in Australia and the Pacific.
One of Australia’s leading policy think tanks has published a full-page advertisement in the New York Times calling for the Australian government to ‘accelerate climate action not climate annihilation’. Signed by over 200 scientists, this advertisement coincides with the UN general assembly this week and next Wednesday’s Climate Summit in New York.
And in the wake of the NSW government’s announcement that it will be ending EV rebates and stamp duty exemptions from 1st January 2024, social enterprise ‘The Good Car Company’ has taken matters in its own hands by offering means-tested discounts to new EV buyers with the objective of demonstrating how incentives can be properly implemented.
**Top stories:**
[Australia signs global treaty to protect the high seas](https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8358051/australia-signs-global-treaty-to-protect-the-high-seas/)Australia is among the first in the world to sign a landmark treaty to protect vast swathes of the ocean no country officially owns.
[Australia shamed on climate change in full-page New York Times advert](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Ffinance%2Fbusiness%2Fmedia%2Faustralia-shamed-on-climate-change-in-fullpage-new-york-times-advert%2Fnews-story%2F2fd0d176c66a938dcba1a10d0440e1cc&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=HyslgPdQwcXv5vQsknE-zFQWdEo&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdSJ9._9eIk96tIPNTjXwzMngn8CFnjBniEWEG71sNjH2GiqhhnqHvoch0hnhg2EgYcYnFoZnfeMpFAgXVacvMtxi1Pg)
One of Australia’s leading policy think tanks has taken the unusual step of taking out a full-page advertisement in the New York Times to call out Australia’s record on climate change.
[As government EV policies fall, one company offers its own incentive scheme](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fenvironment%2Fclimate-change%2Fas-government-ev-policies-fall-one-company-offers-its-own-incentive-scheme-20230920-p5e65l.html&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=R01SbbFJtWk0Y74yw952pHpCgXI&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5zbWguY29tLmF1In0.dLrErlrnr5ygrw6r9BmLnD1I0aNYVH93_YJo5EofLTHngNTsac5xMwvusd5MeI2-ZEAd-GcYmYdqdbniemYuyQ)
Frustrated by the NSW government’s decision to follow Victoria’s lead in scrapping incentives for people to buy electric cars, one social enterprise has taken matters into its own hands, offering means-tested discounts to new EV buyers.
[Climate scientists and Pacific activists call on Australia to ramp up ambitions](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2F2023-09-20%2Faustralia-called-to-ramp-up-climate-ambitions-nyt-ad%2F102876940&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=ZzmzUCpDCS_PLuX76RxH4YPUmTs&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5hYmMubmV0LmF1In0.G6KfJQf9DTg3BPfDRnL8aNk-KGOfbZc12czKSTcqj9BstN0qGFyj-TGroGNT_097qH1_WRMtfq5v4vGs7BrXgQ)
Movers and shakers in the fight against climate change are gathering for the United Nation's Climate Ambition Summit in New York on Wednesday, while climate scientists and Pacific activists call on Australia to ramp up its own ambitions.
[Climate protester holds smoking ceremony outside Woodside board member’s Perth home](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fclimate-protester-holds-smoking-ceremony-outside-woodside-board-member-s-perth-home-20230920-p5e6a2.html&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=-k-yZv9FhDjMLVJY7HmOhS-Z7cQ&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5zbWguY29tLmF1In0.dLrErlrnr5ygrw6r9BmLnD1I0aNYVH93_YJo5EofLTHngNTsac5xMwvusd5MeI2-ZEAd-GcYmYdqdbniemYuyQ)
In a one-man protest, Noongar man and deputy chair of the deaths in custody watch committee Desmond Blurton planted an Aboriginal flag outside the Perth home of Woodside board member Ben Wyatt, before performing a smoking ceremony.
[UK backtracks on net zero environmental policies](https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/uk-backtracks-on-net-zero-environmental-policies/news-story/6e85ef1c9fdf2136d2c0f8c868733c7a)One of the nations leading the world in carbon energy reductions has said it will row back a raft of green targets in what critics have labelled a “complete farce” that would leave people and businesses “confused”.
[Efforts to clean up power sector too slow: watchdog](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fbreaking-news%2Fefforts-to-clean-up-power-sector-too-slow-watchdog%2Fnews-story%2Fa76cd6f510c69a044b1b07075f3827fd&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=Hc2hAuqczjUFdjKYwk5WE7X6CfM&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdSJ9._9eIk96tIPNTjXwzMngn8CFnjBniEWEG71sNjH2GiqhhnqHvoch0hnhg2EgYcYnFoZnfeMpFAgXVacvMtxi1Pg)
Many of the most polluting countries are failing to cut carbon emissions from their energy sectors quickly enough to meet the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a watchdog said on Tuesday.
[NSW behind on hazard reduction burns as NSW Premier Minns warns of a “horror summer”](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Ftechnology%2Fenvironment%2Fnsw-behind-on-hazard-reduction-burns-as-nsw-premier-chris-minns-warns-of-a-horror-summer%2Fnews-story%2Fc59e3a0d80c4951325bb42a8f9b1c9a4&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=fSBIb1Tl1i0FAz6aegM89pb3KmI&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdSJ9._9eIk96tIPNTjXwzMngn8CFnjBniEWEG71sNjH2GiqhhnqHvoch0hnhg2EgYcYnFoZnfeMpFAgXVacvMtxi1Pg)
NSW Premier Chris Minns has warned of a “horror summer” with the state “behind” on its scheduled hazard reduction burns ahead of a potentially brutal fire season.
['Extremely rare' all-white kangaroo rescued from mother's pouch in South Australia](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.9news.com.au%2Fnational%2Falbino-kangaroo-joey%2Fefdccc5a-7eeb-4d8e-b0c7-34c50eee6c03&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=t4oHl-HQ2oa_e4PCojsaj-h_I6Q&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy45bmV3cy5jb20uYXUifQ._LpKSGs1yzay3YcD80oubp8Vvot77Y_74j5doFanESjP7Mj2-l4kZeBsrQi3DpukxSd57gGjx8btziiikU2ZuQ)
An one in 100,000 albino kangaroo is now thriving in a wildlife sanctuary after being rescued from her mother's pouch on the side of the road.
[Reef](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/reef), [gas](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/gas), [energy policy](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/energy-policy), [climate change](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/climate-change), [fossil fuel](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/fossil-fuel), [Woodside](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/woodside), [renewables](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/renewables), [activism](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/activism), [net zero](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/net-zero), [bushfires](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/bushfires)
### Will you share with your friends?
[Share on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/australia-amongst-first-to-sign-global-high-seas-treaty%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [Share on Whatsapp](whatsapp://send?text=Check%20out%20this%20thing%20from%20Greenpeace!%20https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/australia-amongst-first-to-sign-global-high-seas-treaty%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dwhatsapp) [Share on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/australia-amongst-first-to-sign-global-high-seas-treaty%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/australia-amongst-first-to-sign-global-high-seas-treaty%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=)
[Go to the website](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
## More news
### [Labor's own modeller warns against dodgy carbon credits](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/labors-own-modeller-warns-against-dodgy-carbon-credits)
RepuTex, the company that helped draft Labor’s climate policy before the election is warning the...
### [Climate bill tipped to become law](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/climate-bill-tipped-to-become-law)
Labor’s climate change bill appears set to become law with teal independents and the Greens...
### [NSW Liberals out - ALP in](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/nsw-liberals-out-alp-in)
Saturday’s NSW state election saw the Liberal-National Coalition’s twelve-year run of governing NSW...
Work like this is only made possible by our supporters. Greenpeace accepts NO government funding or corporate donations to remain impartial. To amplify meaningful climate activism in Australia, ***become a regular giver today.***
[Donate to Support Greenpeace](https://donate.greenpeace.org.au/)
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
Connect with us
**Call:** [1800 815 151](tel:1800815151)
Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders — past, present and future — and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia, the environmental movement and the Greenpeace crew.
© Greenpeace 2026. [Privacy Policy.](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/privacy-policy/)