
About the Agreement
The National Clean Air Agreement helps governments identify and prioritise actions to address air quality issues.
Australia’s environment ministers established the agreement on 15 December 2015.
The agreement sets a framework for national collaboration on air quality issues to deliver health, environmental and economic outcomes for Australians.
The agreement’s work plan lists the environment ministers proposed actions, roles, responsibilities and timeframes for implementing the actions. It is reviewed and updated every two years.
2021-23 work plan
The National Clean Air Agreement 2021-23 work plan details the rolling program of activities to respond to air quality priorities.
The senior officials group (SOG) agreed to this work plan out of session on 10 May 2022.
This work plan builds on collaborative achievements of the previous work plans. It includes a range of projects across the four strategic approaches set out by the agreement.
Achievements
2018-20 work plan
Actions on the 2018-2020 work plan included:
- strengthened ambient air quality standards for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone
- reviewed legislative instruments made under the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000.
2015-2017 work plan
Actions delivered under the 2015-17 work plan included:
- strengthened ambient air quality reporting standards for particle (particulate matter or PM) pollution
- the introduction of product emissions standards for new outdoor power equipment and marine engines (such as garden equipment and outboard motors), which commenced on 11 January 2018.
Further information
For more information on the National Clean Air Agreement, please email airquality@awe.gov.au.
- Priority setting process - helps focus future efforts where needed to improve our air quality
- Initial work plan (2015-2017) - includes key actions agreed by ministers in 2015
- Mid-term review report - details progress against the initial work plan after its first 12 months
- Evaluation of non-road diesel engine emissions - details progress against the 2018-2020 work plan to evaluate the potential for a national approach to manage non-road diesel engine emissions
- National Air Technical Advisory Group (NATAG) - details NATAG’s role in providing technical advice for national air quality policy and programs