A NSW government watchdog says the state needs higher planning hurdles for new coal mines and data centres as it falls further behind its legislated climate targets. The watchdog reports NSW is not on track to meet its requirements to cut climate pollution by 50% by 2030 and 70% by 2035. The outlets agree the concern is not only about emissions performance but also about how planning and approvals currently handle projects that can affect long-term emissions outcomes. In particular, it argues that existing planning settings may be insufficient to ensure proposals align with the state’s climate commitments. The reporting indicates the watchdog is calling for stronger requirements within the planning system, applying to both coal-related developments and large energy-using infrastructure such as data centres. The coverage does not describe specific new regulations in detail, but it frames the issue as a gap between NSW’s emissions trajectory and the standards that planning decisions should meet to support achievement of mandated emissions reductions.