Climate change requires climate action. Here you will find information about what government is doing.
Climate action in Australia
Everyone has a role to play in adapting to our changing climate. This includes:
- governments
- businesses
- communities
- households and individuals.
Climate action and climate adaptation is all about the steps we take to address climate change and its impact on our environment.
In 2012, the 3 levels of government in Australia agreed on the roles and responsibilities for climate adaptation. Want to know more?
Australian Government climate action
The government leads Australia’s response to climate change. Maybe you’ve heard about the government:
- making laws about emissions targets
- increasing Australia’s capacity to adapt to the climate crisis
- making agreements with other countries to take climate action.
Want to learn more? There’s a lot of information about what the government is doing on the DCCEEW website.
If you want to stay up to date with all the latest news and announcements, you can do that on the DCCEEW website too.
Here’s a taster of some of the big pieces of work underway:
The government is helping prepare for the impact of climate change by developing Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment and the National Adaptation Plan.
These will help us understand and respond to the impacts of climate change.
Learn moreNet Zero means making sure the amount of greenhouse gases produced is the same as the amount being removed from the atmosphere.
The government has committed to Net Zero emissions by 2050. This starts by increasing energy efficiency and switching to fossil fuel alternatives.
Learn more about Net ZeroThe government believes Indigenous knowledge, sciences and practices are key to climate action.
Learn about Indigenous climate action on the DCCEEW websiteAustralia is part of the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement is an agreement between lots of countries to address climate change. This was a big step forward for climate action!
The Paris Agreement aims to limit global average temperature rise to well below 2°C above what it was before industrial times. The goal is to try to limit the rise to just 1.5°C if possible.
This isn’t Australia’s only international agreement! Australia is also part of the:
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- Kyoto Protocol.
The government’s National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy 2021 to 2025 is a plan to better manage and adapt to our changing climate for current and future generations.
The strategy has 3 main objectives:
- drive investment and action through collaboration
- improve climate information and services
- assess progress and improve over time.
State and territory climate action
All levels of government in Australia are taking steps to address climate change. Find out what your state or territory is doing!
Find out what the Australian Capital Territory is doing by visiting:
Find out what New South Wales is doing by visiting:
Find out what the Northern Territory is doing by visiting:
Find out what the Queensland is doing by visiting:
Find out what the South Australia is doing by visiting:
Find out what the Tasmania is doing by visiting:
Find out what the Victoria is doing by visiting:
Find out what the Western Australia is doing by visiting:
"Climate change isn't just a future problem - it's our current reality. Young people are inheriting a world fundamentally reshaped by environmental crisis, and our diverse perspectives must be heard."
Bella from South Australia