The Climate Change Authority has completed its review of the potential technology transition and emissions pathways that best support Australia’s transition to net zero emissions by 2050. 

Commissioned by the Australian Parliament, the review considers the pathways for six sectors – agriculture and land; built environment; electricity and energy; industry and waste; transport and resources – to decarbonise. It identifies barriers and proposes strategies and actions to address them. 

The review finds there are many pathways to achieving emissions reductions with existing, mature technologies, such as solar and wind for electricity generation and batteries for energy storage getting Australia much of the way to net zero. Opportunities also exist with the rapid development of emerging low emissions technologies, such as hydrogen and engineered carbon removals.

The authority’s review identifies 6 strategies that can be incorporated in the Net Zero Plan for addressing the challenges and enabling Australia’s transition to a prosperous, net zero economy. Suggested actions for the Australian Government include working with local, state and territory governments, businesses, communities and households to build on existing climate change policies, reform development approval processes and address mounting workforce shortages. 

Sector Pathways Review – Chart data pack Excel

The CSIRO Technical report – Modelling Sectoral Pathways to Net Zero Emissions PDF

You can read more detailed information about the CSIRO’s technical report that supports the authority’s sector pathways conclusions here(Opens in a new tab/window).

Read more about the Sector Pathways Review project here.

Public submissions to 2024 issues paper: Targets, Pathways and Progress are now published and can be viewed here(Opens in a new tab/window).  

Stay informed and get involved

Stay informed: find out more about our work and consultations by subscribing here(Opens in a new tab/window). Many thanks to everyone who has already contributed to the authority’s work. 

More resources

Check out the media release. 

Public submissions to 2024 issues paper: Targets, Pathways and Progress are now published and can be viewed on our Consultation Hub(Opens in a new tab/window).  

Further reading

Matt speaking at the Industrial Net Zero 2026 cropped
At the 2026 Industrial Net Zero Conference on 13 October 2026, Matt Kean, Chair of the Climate Change Authority, framed Australia’s decarbonisation challenge.
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Matt speaking at Asia Pacific Circular Economy 2026
Speaking at the Asia Pacific Circular Hotspot, Climate Change Authority Chair Matt Kean highlighted how countries that learn to create more value from less…
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A new UNEP report highlights that every fraction of a degree matters as global warming approaches 1.5 °C.
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