The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) leads Australia’s engagement on, the environment and chemicals at the OECD.
OECD's Environment Policy Committee
The department participates in meetings of the OECD’s Environment Policy Committee (EPOC). This Committee plays an important role in identifying effective and economically efficient responses to environmental challenges – from polluted air, municipal waste, and scarce water resources to ozone depletion, biodiversity loss and climate change.
Various working parties sit under EPOC and most meet twice per year. Working parties include those that consider biodiversity; water and ecosystems; resource productivity and waste; the nexus of trade and environment; climate change and development; environmental and economic information; and environmental performance.
Meetings of Environment Ministers
Meetings of EPOC at the Ministerial level are usually held every four years. These meetings discuss shared policy issues and set the course for the OECD’s forward workplan on the environment.
The last meeting was held in Paris in March 2022 with the theme of “Ensuring a Resilient and Healthy Environment for All” featuring climate and plastics.