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2026 Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Conference keynote speech 

Prof. Tony Haymet
Chief Scientist

Always nice to be back in Nipaluna (Hobart) and to acknowledge the Traditional Owners – the Muwinina people – and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

About 23 years ago, I worked here in Hobart as chief of CSIRO’s Marine Research, then Marine and Atmospheric Research. 

May I also give my thanks to AMOS for inviting me to speak at a second consecutive summit, and this time kindly offering me a much less rowdy venue than my evening appearance last year at a craft brewery in Cairns. 

I’m always excited to learn about the advances of your members’ work, even if the tidings are not always good ones. 

I’m here today wearing two hats... in my role as Australia’s Chief Scientist and also as a member of the Climate Change Authority, representing its Chair, Matt Kean.

Matt convened an important climate science and modelling roundtable in Canberra last Friday... more on that later... 

First let me describe a tale of scientific advancement. It’s one that underscores the importance of your work to all Australians and the great necessity for ongoing research. It’s also a tale that shows how important it is to find ways to communicate scientific findings to the public and to policymakers. 

Last September, Australian researchers and weather forecasters – some of you here today - would have watched on with a mix of awe and interest as an unexpected event was taking place some 40 kilometres above Antarctica.  

The usually frigid polar vortex was heating up to about 35 degrees Celsius above normal in what’s dubbed a sudden stratospheric warming.  

I am told such events happen about every two years over the North Pole, but they are quite rare over the icy continent. Sudden stratospheric warming is linked to extreme mid-latitude weather, and that’s what Australia witnessed in subsequent months on this occasion. The Bureau of Meteorology’s seasonal forecast – previously favouring the odds for a wet spring in a La Nina year – shifted to a drier outlook. 

Stronger westerly winds then added to drought conditions in southern Australia, primed the bush to burn, and increased the likelihood of the record-breaking heatwaves that we endured in January. Farmers, firefighters and regional communities are among those with a visceral stake in detecting phenomena such as stratospheric warming events. 

And in fact, we should all want to know how climate change will affect these events in the future because the impacts will be so wide-ranging... affecting all Australians – their health, their housing, their jobs, their communities. Marine heatwaves are already fuelling destructive algal blooms, bleaching our coral reefs, supercharging storms, and threatening coastal eco-systems that have sustained communities and industries for generations.

*** 

That we could detect this sudden stratospheric warming over a remote part of the world at all is an illustration of how far science has advanced in recent decades. Measurements made at Australia’s Macquarie Island and Davis Station in Antarctica played a vital role, as did satellites observing changes in atmospheric ozone.  

The processing and modelling of that data at home and abroad underscore how we rely on a global network for our weather and climate predictions. 

This intricate climate intelligence eco-system is not one we can take for granted. We must make plans, and back-up plans, to ensure this eco-system is sustained and enhanced. By doing so, we can help protect Australian families and industries from the worst impacts of climate change.  

With that in mind, Matt Kean, the chair of the Climate Change Authority, convened the special climate science and modelling roundtable last Friday in Canberra. 

While I was unable to attend due to a prior ministerial engagement, I know the roundtable brought together senior officials and researchers from across our science-to-service supply chain. 

We had people well-versed in the science, the data, the climate modelling, the infrastructure of super computing, and a range of end-users from the public and private sectors. 

*** 

I mentioned the sudden stratospheric warming event – and its impact on Australian weather – because it’s one of many climate examples that are both a warning and an opportunity. 

They highlight the pervasive impact of climate change and, at the same time, they remind us that we must maintain and enhance our capacity to observe the planet. 

They remind us of the ongoing need to collect, process and understand the data … the need to improve our predictive models … and the need to convey the information to the many potential users. 

*** 

Climate intelligence is significant national infrastructure that your work directly contributes to. Enormous progress has been made in climate science but there is far to go, and there will be far-reaching implications.

The data that you gather, and work with, contributes not just to climate modelling, but to decisions that can improve our economy, agriculture and health outcomes, defence planning and disaster preparedness. As such, climate data is an enabling asset across society, government and the economy.

I echo the view of our chair, Matt Kean, that you can’t have good economic modelling without a good approximation of the risks of global warming, depending on how emissions play out.

I won’t say much more about the roundtable ... there are other speakers here today who were at the gathering, and I don’t want to steal their thunder. But I do want to touch on one topic it discussed that will be of interest to many of you: high-performance computing and data, and its role in climate science.

I’m pleased to inform you that Australia’s high-performance computing and data needs are currently being examined by the nation’s top science advisory body to the Prime Minister.

The Minister for Science has asked the National Science and Technology Council to provide advice on Australia’s future research needs in this area. 

Incidentally, I understand there’s a workshop at this conference focussing on developing a National High Performance Computing and Data Roadmap for Climate Science in Australia. 

Now, you don’t need a supercomputer to know there’s a lot to take into account when considering what the high-performance computing and data landscape could and should look like in the coming decade.  

I'm not here today to pre-empt the council's advice. But I do want to briefly spotlight some of the key questions and issues that are shaping conversations about this technology.

Recent discussions in Australia’s scientific community raise legitimate concerns about whether our digital infrastructure in this area can keep pace with existing and projected demand.

There are concerns about infrastructure that is fragmented, ageing, or not structured for emerging needs in some areas.

These are healthy discussions that help to clarify issues by raising questions about the allocation of resources.

At a global level, the benchmark for computing capability continues to rise.

Countries and regions – including Europe, Japan, China, the USA and Singapore – are making large investments in high-performance computing.

But this does not mean Australia should simply match their spending.

Like all nations, Australia has finite budget resources. The question is not whether to invest in this technology, but how to make strategic, pragmatic, clear-eyed choices that maximise the benefits to our nation.

You work in scientific disciplines defined by data. And as our computing power grows, our data capability must grow with it. If our data storage capacity lags behind our computing power, this can create bottlenecks that undermine research. 

In a country as big as Australia, we must also carefully consider questions about connectivity and the location of our facilities.

We are a large nation with dispersed infrastructure and very large data-sets, particularly in areas like climate, astronomy and resources. 

When it comes to the marriage of supercomputing and data facilities, co-locating them can be an important consideration. It can reduce the cost and difficulty of massive data transfers and can reduce latency in computer processing. 

On the other hand, high-speed, high-volume networks can also be deployed to efficiently connect data storage to computing systems. 

And in some cases, it’s a matter of bringing the computing system to the data storage location – rather than the other way around.

*** 

Regardless of how the data is stored and managed, that data is the very bedrock of climate science and the scientific information that enriches our nation.

But in 2026 Australia faces a rising tide of misinformation dressed as science.

Artificial intelligence and social media are turbo-charging its spread. I know many of you are concerned about that, and I want to touch briefly on it today. 

Australia’s top science advisory body to the Prime Minister – the National Science and Technology Council I mentioned earlier – has commissioned landmark reports on misinformation. 

They show we can be vulnerable to it because of the way our brains are wired. Research finds humans are naturally inclined to believe new information – especially if it’s simple, familiar, or comes from people we trust. The more we see it, the more credible it seems, even if it’s false.

Poor physical or mental health can also reduce cognitive capacity, increasing susceptibility to falsehoods.

These falsehoods are a global challenge – especially so in science. And your work, and your data, can be part of a global response to addressing this challenge and combating misinformation.

***

I would like to conclude with some final observations about the value of climate science for Australia, and how we might best act on the knowledge you generate.  

Your work has never been more important – because, sadly, Australia now finds itself in hot water. And that’s not a metaphor. It’s the scientific reality of our rapidly warming oceans. 

The climate crisis is reshaping life across the nation, from our oceans to our insurance premiums, and it’s going to get worse both in Australia and across the world. But we can avoid the harshest impacts by making deep global emissions cuts. Australia has great scientists – like you – and is a wealthy country with the resources to address these challenges. 

Reducing emissions, tonne by tonne, is the most effective way to meet our climate targets. 

At the same time, we must foster the work of those in the climate sciences.  And strive to ensure your discoveries – about sudden stratospheric warming, for example – are brought to widespread public attention. By doing so, your work can inform Australia’s decisions across all levels of government, businesses and society more broadly.

So, I encourage you to be bold in your science, and perhaps bolder in the communication of your important findings. 

Thank you.

Climate Investor Forum speech 

The Hon. Matt Kean 
Chair - Climate Change Authority 

May I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation.

It’s a privilege to be here at the Climate Investor Forum — because if we are serious about Australia’s emissions targets, then we need to be serious about the role of capital. 

And today I want to answer a very practical question: How do we turn Australia’s climate ambition into investable opportunity?

Because Australia’s 62–70% emissions reduction target by 2035 versus 2005 levels is not simply a policy objective — it's an economic transformation agenda.

And it will succeed or fail on one thing above all: our ability to mobilise capital at speed and at scale.

Now, if you look back a quarter-century to how we lived in 2001 and compare that with 2026, you could argue that a lot has changed.

Our houses are a bit bigger, and Australia’s has added an extra Victoria in population terms, or more than 7 million people.

More than a third of our houses generate our own electricity and one in six new cars sold last month was an electric vehicle (EV) — compared with a virtual absence of such gadgets back then.

Indeed, last quarter, renewable energy supplied more than half the electricity in Australia’s main grid for the first time.

Such advances, though, will seem quaintly slow over the decades to come as technology advances, particularly around electrification, make “turbo-charging” seem sedate.

And when we look overseas, we can see what’s possible. In China, the leader in so many of the clean fields, sold 13.3 million EVs domestically last. Easily the world’s largest auto market by units, more than half of sales were electric.

In electricity generation, the stats are even more eye-popping. While Australia added in the order of 10 gigawatts of new solar and wind capacity in 2025, China added that amount about every 9 days... clocking up 430GW, or more than the rest of the world combined, according to Carbon Brief(Opens in a new tab/window). 

So, what might our world look like in 2050 (coincidentally also a Year of the Horse in the Chinese Zodiac, matching the Lunar New Year that began just yesterday)?   

There are many reasons to think we are experiencing a new industrial revolution, guided by artificial intelligence, which will need lots of energy.

Australia, with some of the best renewable energy resources on the planet, will have a commercial and even geopolitical edge over other regions. 

Steel, aluminium, ammonia, silicon...whatever you forge, the fuel will increasingly be green.

And while there will be sectors which still need to burn fossil fuels and require a response to climate change, there is hope in what this could look like, too.

Those with hectares to spare will discover new ways to derive income. In addition to traditional agriculture, we could see landowners using carbon sequestration methodologies to bolster soil health, reduce erosion, provide shading for livestock and reduce the drying of our landscape. Hosting solar and wind farms will be more common, too.

And rewilding of biodiversity-rich corridors can reverse the slide of our remarkable and unique Australian ecology – aiding landowners in the process.

Together these efforts can enable us to prosper unlike any previous generation but do so in ways that don’t cook our atmosphere and acidify our oceans, avoid melting the giant icesheets of Antarctic and Greenland and so, spare our current coastlines from rapid sea-level rise, among other benefits.

And it will be with private capital, in particular, that we can realise this potential.

1. The world has changed 

We are living through a profound global economic reset.

The net zero transition is no longer just about climate risk. It is now about:

• industrial competitiveness
• supply chain security
• energy sovereignty
• and economic leadership. 
  

According to Boston Consulting Group’s analysis, meeting Australia’s 2035 ambition requires roughly $475 to $630 billion of capital investment over the next decade. 

That’s in the order of $1 billion — per week.

There will be a lot of competition for that money.

Yes, the Trump administration has been busy winding back the previous government’s Inflation Reduction Act, but a lot of the allocated billions will still be spent as the Act intended.

And many US states are pressing on with their decarbonising goals, so it’s not just California dreaming.

Elsewhere, the impetus for decarbonising is still intact, whether it’s in Europe with their Green Deal Industrial Plan, China – as mentioned — show little sign of reigning in its gigantic investments in renewables and storage. 

Other parts of Asia, the Middle East and beyond will vie for capital to meet Paris Climate commitments – and to stay competitive. 

In other words, Australia must keep itself an attractive destination for global funds. We are NOT guaranteed a podium placement even with all our natural advantages.

Yes, we all need to cut carbon emissions. The good news is that these efforts are fast becoming the dynamos of economic activity. 

More than a third of the growth of China – the world’s second-biggest economy — was generated by the clean energy sector in 2025, according to Carbon Brief(Opens in a new tab/window).

To be clear, global capital isn’t holding out for perfect certainty.

After all, expanding firms are typically disruptors of the status quo. 

We must position ourselves to be magnets for private capital — including from our own superannuation funds that often preference investments in renewable energy and other clean-industry target outside Australia, rather than those at home. 

Jurisdictions seeking to lure and retain that capital will be more likely to succeed if they can offer:

• credible targets,
• stable policy frameworks,
• investable project pipelines
• and execution capability. 

Much is at stake. If Australia wants to have a say in this global shake-up, we can’t be merely price-takers of others’ technology and innovation…not if we want to generate well-paying jobs in sustainable industries.

2. The scale of Australia’s task 

Australia’s 62–70% emissions reduction target by 2035 is ambitious. On a per-capita basis, the cut is 76%-81% from 2005 levels – among the steepest reductions on the planet.

It requires a step-change in our efforts to date.

True, we have already made meaningful gains in decarbonising the grid, opening the way to hammer emissions lower as large swathes of the economy electrify.

But it is important to state clearly: the next decade will need to see more progress than the last one.

Capping and then cutting emissions has to happen in several areas, such as:

• transport fuels
• methane
• and hard-to-abate industrial activity, including cement, steel and agriculture. 

In other words, the future won’t just be about closing coal-fired generators. 

3. Why this is not a cost story — it’s an opportunity story 

When we talk about the transition, too often the conversation is framed as a burden.

But the evidence is increasingly clear: the net cost of the transition is manageable, and the investment opportunity is enormous.

Decarbonisation requires major capital deployment in electricity generation, storage, transmission, distribution, and electrification.

The costs may loom large, but not all of the expenses should be considered “extra” – rather consumer as usual. 

The Climate Change Authority, for instance, drew up one pathway towards meeting the 2035 emissions goal that envisaged half of all cars being sold from now until that year being EVs. 

That wasn’t a prescription nor prediction, to be clear. 

But the point is that Australians would be snapping up new cars as the vehicles aged anyway, and their replacements will feasibly be electric in about half the purchases. 

Energy efficiency will often be a built-in feature of this transformation.

For instance, only about 11% of energy used to turn the wheels on EV is wasted, compared with 75%-84% wastage in internal combustion-engined vehicles(Opens in a new tab/window).   

Some industrial processes — think cement and steel-making — will need further innovations to be competitive.

Heat pumps can shift the heating and cooling loads to the grid. A range of other industrial activities can also be electrified for lower operational costs than gas even with existing technology. 

In any case, if that’s where the consumers are headed, suppliers will want to be there.

Follow the money, to be sure, but smart investors are those who anticipate where that money is headed and get there first. 

By the way, those benefits extend beyond savings for consumers and lower carbon emissions.

This change is also about:

• energy security
• productivity
• industrial competitiveness
• and what “A Future Made in Australia” should look like. 

And we shouldn’t just aim for clean-tech assembly. Rather, the design and building of scalable, exportable systems are what we want.

4. Australia’s strategic advantage 

Australia has the potential to be a critical player in the evolving global economy.

Not because we have the biggest population or the biggest manufacturing base, obviously. 

But because we have structural advantages that few countries can match.

Aside from abundant low-cost renewable resources and a periodic table’s worth of critical minerals, we have engineering capability, deep institutional expertise, and one of the largest pools of long-duration capital in the world through superannuation. 

Legislated targets also mark a strong national direction of travel.

That gives Australia an opportunity not just to decarbonise domestically, but to build new export and industrial platforms.

Because, as I said at the outset: the global economy is not only decarbonising — it is reindustrialising.

And the competitive advantage in a net zero world is simple: cheap, clean, reliable energy.

If Australia can deliver that, we can become an industrial powerhouse in green commodities. Apart from those I’ve already mentioned, sustainable fuels and clean manufacturing supply chains will round out our offering of high-value, clean industrial products to world markets.

5. The real constraint: capital mobilisation 

But to realise that opportunity, we need to be honest about the binding constraint.

The constraint is not technology.

The constraint is not ambition.

The constraint is capital mobilisation — and the conditions under which private capital is willing to deploy.

Investors don’t invest in targets. 

They invest in cashflows.

They invest in risk-adjusted returns.

And for investors, the question is: can Australia translate ambition into investable opportunity at scale?

That requires 3 things:

1. policy durability
2. credible price signals
3. execution capability. 

If those elements are weak, the cost of capital rises, projects stall, and investment is delayed or diverted to more compelling markets. 

If those elements are strong, capital competes to enter.

6. Policy settings and price signals to crowd-in capital 

So, what does it take to mobilise private capital at scale?

In my view, five things matter. First, stable long-term targets with near-term milestones. Targets must extend beyond electoral cycles. Investors need confidence that direction will not reverse.

Second, credible and durable price signals. The economy needs a clear signal that emissions will carry an increasing cost over time. That doesn’t necessarily mean a single economy-wide carbon tax. But it does mean credible constraints and mechanisms that affect behaviour and investment.

The Safeguard Mechanism is an important step in that direction.

And the stronger and more predictable the signal, the lower the risk premium investors will demand (a government review of the mechanism in 2026-27 should reinforce that signal).

Third, investable revenue frameworks. The transition is not held back by a lack of capital. It is held back by a lack of bankable projects.

Mechanisms like underwriting, long-term contracting, and credible offtake arrangements are essential to crowd-in private capital.

Investors will fund renewables, storage, and electrification infrastructure at scale if revenue certainty exists.

Fourth, clear priority sector strategy. Australia needs to focus on where abatement is achievable at scale and at least cost.

The core pathway is clear:

• decarbonise electricity
• electrify transport and industry
• reduce methane
• and scale high-integrity sequestration 

Policy should reinforce this least-cost pathway. 

Fifth, execution reform — planning, approvals, and delivery. Execution risk is fast becoming the binding constraint.

Delays in approvals and transmission delivery are increasing project risk and raising the cost of capital.

This issue is not confined to climate action. 

It is economic reform.

If Australia wants to attract global capital, we must become faster, more coordinated, and more predictable in project delivery.

7. Where the capital must go 

If we look at the real economy, the capital deployment priorities are clear.

The transition will be won or lost in four areas:

1. Electricity generation and storage — scaling renewables and firming capacity is foundational.

2. Transmission and distribution - the grid is the platform for the whole economy. Without transmission, generation cannot connect, and electrification cannot scale.

3. Transport electrification — transport fuels are now one of the largest emissions sources. EV uptake and charging infrastructure will be decisive.

4. Methane and removals - methane is a large share of emissions, and it is often lower-cost to abate than many industrial solutions. Removals will also be necessary — but they must be high-integrity and durable.

These are not theoretical sectors.

These are investable sectors today.

8. Structuring co-investment to crowd-in private capital

So how do we accelerate deployment?

Government cannot fund this transition alone.

And it shouldn’t.

The goal is not to replace private capital.

The goal is to use government strategically to unlock private capital.

That means designing structures that share risk appropriately.

Some of the most effective models include:

Public-private co-investment - Government takes early-stage risk; private capital scales.

Blended finance vehicles - where government provides first-loss or concessional capital to reduce risk premiums.

Aggregation platforms - pooling smaller assets — like EV charging, distributed energy, and industrial retrofits — into institutional-scale investment vehicles. This is how we are going to fund the missing middle – those sectors of the economy which need to decarbonise, but which are too capital intensive for venture and too nascent to be infrastructure.

Long-term contracting and offtake underwriting - providing revenue floors that reduce merchant volatility.

Industrial precinct models - where enabling infrastructure — transmission, firming, ports, shared services — is coordinat-ed to reduce cost per project.

These are not abstract ideas.

They are proven global models.

And they are precisely the kind of structures that institutional capital responds to.

9. Why private capital should deploy now 

For investors, there is a strong case for deployment now.

Because the transition is producing scarcity value.

Grid connection and firming are becoming scarce.

Transmission corridors are scarce.

Permitted, bankable projects are scarce.

That means early movers are not just supporting the transition — they are positioning themselves in the highest-demand part of the value chain.

Second, electrification is driving structural demand growth.

This is not a cyclical story. It is a multi-decade growth story.

Third, global policy momentum is not going away.

Markets will evolve, but the direction is clear: carbon constraints will tighten over time.

Fourth, investor mandates are shifting.

Portfolio decarbonisation is now embedded in the strategies of major asset owners and global capital pools.

And fifth, this transition will create the next generation of industrial winners.

Those who invest early will help shape the platform.

Those who wait will pay higher entry prices.

10. The call to action 

So let me close with this.

Australia’s 62–70% target by 2035 is ambitious. But it is also an invitation.

An invitation to investors to build the next generation of Australian infrastructure and industry.

The transition will succeed if we can translate ambition into investable opportunity – at scale.

That requires:

• policy durability
• credible price signals
• investable revenue frameworks
• streamlined delivery systems
• and clear sector priorities

If we get those settings right, capital will respond. Not reluctantly. But competitively.

Because in a world racing to net zero, the prize is not just emissions reduction.

The prize is industrial competitiveness.

The prize is energy security.

The prize is long-term economic leadership.

And that is what a future made in Australia should look like.

And it’s a future we can realise — if we choose it.

Thank you.

Australia’s leading climate science agencies, senior policymakers and major climate data users met in Canberra on 13 February for a Climate Science and Modelling Roundtable convened by the Climate Change Authority. The meeting addressed growing concerns about the resilience of Australia’s climate intelligence system and rising climate risks.

Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Josh Wilson attended the Roundtable alongside the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO, Australian Climate Services, leading university research centres, Treasury, APRA and the Insurance Council of Australia. 

Discussions focused on how strengthening coordination across government, research institutions and end users of climate science will make sure information reaches those who depend on it most: households, insurers, farmers, emergency services and decision-makers.

The Australian Climate Councils Network (ACCN) officially launched in Sydney on 3 December 2025. It brings together 6 members - the Authority, Net Zero Economy Authority(Opens in a new tab/window), Queensland’s Clean Economy Expert Panel(Opens in a new tab/window), South Australia’s Premier’s Climate Change Council(Opens in a new tab/window), ACT Climate Change Council(Opens in a new tab/window) and NSW’s Net Zero Commission(Opens in a new tab/window).  

At the launch members discussed opportunities to promote evidence-based climate change policy and action in Australia. Members also discussed Australia’s green growth opportunities, with Dr Andrew Forrest, CEO of Fortescue, joining for this discussion. 

Reflecting on the network, the Authority’s Chair, the Hon. Matt Kean, said:  

“Australia’s 2035 emissions target is driving urgency for government progress towards net zero. Now is the time for councils to collaborate, amplify independent advice, and more strongly influence national policy. The ACCN can accelerate this progress through its three priorities to share knowledge and resources, elevate the public discourse on climate change, and promote evidence-based climate policy.” 

The ACCN is a voluntary collaboration. 

Stay tuned on our Facebook(Opens in a new tab/window), Instagram(Opens in a new tab/window) and LinkedIn(Opens in a new tab/window) accounts for news and updates. 

Australia has just seen its hottest ever year, with mean temperatures during the 12 months to June 2025 exceeding the previous record by more than 0.25 ºC. 

Globally, 2024 was also the hottest year on record and marked the first year with average temperatures topping 1.5 ºC above pre-industrial levels – the threshold agreed under the Paris Climate Agreement. These milestones underscore the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The Climate Change Authority’s fourth Annual Progress Report, released today, called for faster emissions reductions and stronger adaptation measures to keep Australia on track for a safe and resilient future. 

The pace of emission cuts must double to meet our legislated 2030 target of reducing 2005-level carbon pollution by 43%.

To reach Australia’s newly set 2035 goal – a 62-70% reduction – the rate of cuts will need to triple by the early 2030s.

Our report found the electricity and energy sectors made the fastest gains, improving the prospects for other sectors of the economy to decarbonise as they electrify.

‘Australia’s emissions fell by 10 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent in the year to June 2025, faster than the average over the past 5 years of 8 Mt CO₂-e  reductions,’ said Matt Kean, Chair of the Climate Change Authority. 

‘No other year has had such a drop apart from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic – 10 million tonnes a promising development,’ Mr Kean said. 

‘However, to hit our goals, the reduction rate will have to accelerate to 18 Mt CO₂-e  per year between now and 2030, and between 20-25 Mt CO₂-e  per year from now to 2035. That means speeding up approvals for clean energy projects and infrastructure to keep pace with the transition. 

‘The electricity and energy sector contributed half the nation’s emissions reductions over the past year. 

‘And that sector’s contribution will expand as more renewable energy sources are switched on when ageing coal-fired power plants bow out,’ he said.

‘Fortunately, the ongoing plunge in the price of solar photovoltaics and lithium batteries – combined with government policies like the Capacity Investment Scheme and measures to strengthen electricity security – is driving fresh demand at the household, business and utility scale. 

‘To lock in these gains and near-term targets, wind generation must grow rapidly, supported by faster approvals and benefit-sharing with communities.

‘The technological tide is overwhelming, with low-carbon generation contributing almost all the new energy generation added worldwide last year,’ Mr Kean said.

‘With the growing competitiveness of heat pumps, induction cookers, electric vehicles and other energy efficient devices, we can expect sectors of the economy beyond the power industry to lower their carbon emissions,’ he added. 

‘And with Australia’s abundant sunshine, wind and rich mineral resources, few nations stand to benefit as much from this global transition we must all make.

‘Now is to get on with it and work together to ensure a fair and fast transition for a cleaner, more prosperous future.’  

Check out the 2025 Annual Progress Report. 

Download the media release. 

Media inquiries
Climate Change Authority Media Team
Email: media@climatechangeauthority.gov 
Phone: 02 5162 3580

The Climate Change Authority is pleased to welcome Kath Rowley as our new Chief Executive Officer.

Ms Rowley brings the energy and determination that has been her hallmark during more than 20 years’ experience as a climate policy leader. This career includes her latest role heading the Emissions Reduction Division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. She has led climate, energy and sustainability policy reform at national and state government level, and also at the global thinktank, Climate Policy Initiative. In her recent role, Ms Rowley spearheaded development of the Australian government’s Net Zero Plan and sector plans and oversaw essential climate information, such as the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory and projections. She, in fact, returns to the Authority almost a decade after her first stint as General Manager, Reviews. Fittingly for her new executive role, that experience included leading public reviews of Australia’s emissions reduction goals and policies. 

The Authority would like to extend our thanks and appreciation for Brad Archer's outstanding efforts as Chief Executive Officer over more than 7 years. Mr Archer embodies all that's best in the Australian Public Service. He is a dedicated, hard-working and high-performing leader who brings integrity and professionalism to everything he does. Mr Archer leads by example and brings out the best of his crew, inspiring us to go above and beyond our duty. He also steered the Authority during a period of growth and transformation, and leaves a legacy of an Authority going from strength to strength. 

The Climate Change Authority has recommended Australia set a 2035 target to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 62-70% compared with 2005 levels.

The Authority’s members agreed unanimously that the target it has recommended constitutes an ambitious, yet achievable goal. It requires what the science demands: strong and urgent action, and aligns with our obligations to advise on a path that is economically, environmentally and socially responsible.

Our recommended target will deliver some of the largest emissions cuts anywhere around the world. On a per-capita basis, the target equates to a 76-81% reduction once projected population growth over the coming decade is included. Australians’ average pollution profile would improve faster than our peers, particularly over the 2031-35 period, as we build momentum beyond the 2030 legislated target. 

Read the full media release

Media inquiries: 
CCA Media Team: media@climatechangeauthority.gov.au 

Extreme weather disasters will cost Australians $8.7 billion a year by 2050 without strong action to address climate risks, underlining the need for national leadership on adaptation.

The new report Home safe: National leadership in adapting to a changing climate examines how climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of flooding, bushfires, extreme storms and coastal erosion, and the rising costs of these events for Australians.

Back-to-back disasters have cost the Australian economy $2.2 billion in the first half of 2025 alone. Disasters like Cyclone Alfred and record flooding on the NSW Mid-North Coast have recently seen tens of thousands of Australians forced from their homes and burdened with major clean-up costs. 

Climate Change Authority Chair Matt Kean said: “Our homes are our sanctuaries – and the biggest financial investment most Australians will ever make.

“Millions of Australian homes now face escalating risks from climate change. Devastating flooding on the NSW Mid-North Coast last month is the latest example, but won’t be the last.

“Authorities will need to review and tighten building codes. Parts of coastal Queensland and WA not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon. 

“These are the kinds of practical steps we can take to make Australia more resilient in a changing climate. And they’re worth it – every dollar invested in reducing climate risks can save up to $11 in recovery costs,” Mr Kean said.

Download the full media release.

Read the full report on the Authority’s website.

Media inquiries: 

CCA Media Team
E: media@climatechangeauthority.gov.au
P: 0481 464 027 

The Authority’s CEO, Mr Brad Archer, delivered a keynote address at the Climate and Energy Forum organised by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia in Melbourne on 1 May 2025. 

Mr Archer discussed Australia’s goals, opportunities and challenges for building a thriving net zero economy, emphasising the progress we have already made and the importance of now building on this momentum.

Read the full speech.

Delaying the overhaul of Australia’s grid risks adding at least 2 billion tonnes of emissions 

New analysis shows pursuing the deployment of nuclear in Australia’s grid could add at least 2 billion tonnes to national emissions, on a global path that is consistent with 2.6°C of warming.

The Climate Change Authority has compared published modelling by the Australian Energy Market Operator and Frontier Economics to understand how a nuclear pathway could impact national efforts to reduce emissions.

The analysis finds that a nuclear pathway could see Australia miss the legislated 43% emissions reduction target for 2030 by five percentage points, and still not achieve this level of reduction by 2035.  

Australia would not reach 82% zero emissions electricity until 2042 – more than a decade later than current national plans.  

“Prioritising nuclear at this time would be inconsistent with Australia’s national emissions reduction priorities and commitments,” Climate Change Authority Chair Matt Kean said.   

This new analysis builds on previous work by the Climate Change Authority on nuclear energy, including through the 2024 Sector Pathways Review and its initial submission to House Select Committee on Nuclear Energy. This analysis will be provided to the Committee as a supplementary submission.  

Read the full media release

Download Assessing the impact of a nuclear pathway on Australia’s emissions

Media inquiries 

Laura Downey: 
P: 0427 827 928
E: laura@89degreeseast.com