The Government today voted against its own policy to introduce a greenhouse gas trigger into the Environment Planning and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC), on a motion moved by the Australian Greens.

"The climate crisis is an over-riding environmental issue, so it simply stands to reason that greenhouse emissions of proposed developments should be assessed," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.

"The Labor Party acknowledged this by promising to insert a greenhouse trigger into the EPBC and making it part of the environmental platform for the last two elections.

"How extraordinary that, now they are in Government, Labor is willing to jettison so many of their environmental promises."

A greenhouse trigger would ensure that any proposed development with major greenhouse gas emissions implications would automatically have to be assessed under Commonwealth environmental assessment processes.

The motion reads:

That the Senate calls on the Government to implement its policy to insert a greenhouse trigger into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.