"The Academy welcomes the Government’s annual climate statement published today and is calling for urgent, ambitious action to increase emissions reductions to reduce global warming and meet the climate goals of the Paris Agreement.

The Climate Change Authority’s annual progress report found that Australia’s emissions are declining too slowly and that faster, coordinated action is needed across all sectors.

The Global Carbon Budget shows that time is up for 1.5°C. Today, Minister Bowen noted in his speech to Federal Parliament that based on global emissions, we will still see warming of 2.8 degrees.

Above 1.5°C of warming, Australia faces much greater climate risks and economic consequences. These impacts include more frequent and severe extreme weather events like floods, fires and cyclones that will contribute to the cost of living, placing further stress on household budgets.

I urge the Minister to read the Academy’s report The risks to Australia of a 3°C warmer world.

It paints a picture of what our world will be like to live in when average global surface temperatures reach 3°C, which is expected in the lifetimes of our children and grandchildren.

We need to be able to look the next generation in the eyes and say we’re on track to leave you a world that is liveable.

We are making progress with emissions reductions, but the Climate Change Authority’s projections show that we need to triple our current pace of emissions reduction to reach the ambitious edge of the 2035 emissions target.

A net zero emissions outcome by 2050 is possible for Australia without compromising economic prosperity.

The Academy supports the Government’s focus on renewables and their goal to make Australia a global destination for clean energy investment.

Now is the time to invest in science and innovation to develop the technologies we need to enhance our climate modelling and understanding, accelerate the energy transition, reduce emissions and remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and prepare our communities and environment to adapt to climate change impacts.

We must rise to the challenges presented by overwhelming scientific evidence and not only reduce future emissions but also deal with runaway emissions that are already locked into the atmosphere, making some warming inevitable."

"Minister Bowen rightly highlights the economic opportunities presented by cheap renewables and the acceleration of household electrification. However, focusing narrowly on immediate energy prices – while politically topical – risks overlooking the profound systemic constraints that define the true net zero challenge.

Insights from our energy system modelling demonstrate that meeting the 1.5°C goal requires far more than optimistic rollout scenarios. It demands three simultaneous, unprecedented actions: rapid renewable deployment, mass electrification, and crucially, a direct reduction in final energy demand.

This demand reduction is essential to account for the huge up-front energy investment needed just to build the new solar, wind, and transmission infrastructure.

Our modelling shows that prioritising a strong fossil fuel phase-out without deliberately contracting demand could create a potentially inescapable shortfall of net energy lasting decades; worse, it could lead to persistent reliance on fossil fuels (with associated warming impacts) to satisfy the competing energy appetite for both high consumption and the fuelling of the renewable roll-out. For a high-consuming nation like Australia, immediate, rapid degrowth needs to be central to our climate change action plan, to align with a globally fair transition.

We must shift the debate beyond immediate costs to address these complex, integrated requirements and radically shift our economy and energy demand if we are to seriously mitigate the risks highlighted in the National Climate Risk Assessment."

"The 2025 Annual Climate Change Statement shows Australia is making progress, but not fast enough to stay on a credible path to its 2035 target.

Emissions are down 29% since 2005, and renewable generation has passed 40% of major grids. However, current policies only take us to a 48% cut by 2035, which leaves a large gap that must be closed.

The statement makes clear that the cheapest and most reliable energy system is one built on renewables supported by storage, not ageing coal plants that continue to drive outages and price volatility. Delay raises costs, weakens investment and leaves households and businesses more exposed to climate impacts.

The national climate risk assessment highlights rising heat, flood and fire risks that are now compounding across infrastructure, health and supply chains, with disproportionate effects on vulnerable communities.

Australia needs a coordinated national adaptation framework with clear responsibilities and funding or these losses will escalate.

The opportunity is that Australia is well placed to lead if it accelerates electrification, streamlines approvals and builds a workforce for clean energy and low carbon industry.

The message from the statement is simple: early action is cheaper and safer than delay."

"As Australia steps into the role of COP31 President for negotiations — a position we actively sought — we must demonstrate that our climate ambition extends far beyond the electricity sector. The Government’s 'ten truths' offer a solid starting point: climate change is real and human-driven, renewables are the cheapest and most reliable form of new energy, and net zero by 2050 is the bare minimum. These messages are important, and our strong renewable resources give us a natural advantage.

But global leadership requires more than a strong energy narrative. As COP31 President for negotiations, Australia must show it understands the full breadth of the challenge: ensuring a just transition for workers and communities, strengthening ethical supply chains, decarbonising transport, industry and agriculture, and building resilience across the economy.

Crucially, climate finance will be one of the defining issues of next year’s negotiations. The world will expect Australia not just to convene discussions, but to model responsible behaviour — supporting vulnerable nations, contributing to financing mechanisms, and demonstrating credibility on both mitigation and adaptation.

If Australia sought this leadership role, we must now earn it by presenting a whole-of-economy, ethically grounded climate strategy that reflects responsibility, ambition, and a genuine commitment to global partnership."