Australia’s climate change strategies

We manage and deliver policies and programs to help Australia respond to climate change.

Our department is working to reduce emissions by:

investing in new technologies that will lower emissions and support jobs and growth
developing and coordinating low emissions technology policies and regulations
supporting businesses and industries to innovate and adopt smarter practices and technologies
encouraging businesses and consumers to reduce emissions
regulating and reporting on greenhouse gas emissions
helping the land and agriculture sector reduce greenhouse gas emissions
forming new international partnerships to advance and reduce low emissions technology costs
working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to negotiate and meet Australia’s obligations under the Paris Agreement.

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is responsible for delivering climate change adaptation, and climate science policy and programs.

Technology-led approach to emissions reduction

The Australian Government is reducing Australia’s emissions by investing in low emissions technologies. This will make low emissions technologies cheaper, and more widely available, so they become the smart choice for businesses and consumers.

Low emissions technologies will underpin Australia’s Long-term Emissions Reduction Strategy. Australia will take this strategy to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

The Technology Investment Roadmap will play an important part in our long-term strategy to reduce emissions. Our annual Low Emissions Technology Statements identify priorities for government and private sector investments to help drive down the cost of critical low emissions technologies.

Under this technology-led approach, we are working with researchers and the private sector to:

grow Australia's hydrogen industry
invest in large-scale energy storage
reduce our steel and aluminum industries’ emissions reduction costs
reduce soil carbon measurement costs, so land managers can store carbon in soil
reduce emissions through carbon capture, use and storage
develop a Future Fuels Strategy to support zero emissions vehicles.

International low emissions technology partnerships

Led by Dr Alan Finkel, the Office of the Special Adviser to the Australian Government on Low Emissions Technology supports and promotes the government’s technology-led approach.

Australia is co-funding low emissions technology research and demonstration projects through strategic international partnerships. We are working with key trading partners including:

the United Kingdom, to commercialise and scale low emissions technologies
Germany, to develop a hydrogen industry under the Hydrogen Accord
Japan, to decarbonise through technology and support clean energy in the Indo-Pacific region
Singapore, to deploy low emissions fuels and technologies in maritime operations.

Emissions reduction incentives

We encourage businesses, industries and consumers to reduce their emissions through a number of programs and initiatives.

The Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) aims to provide incentives for a range of organisations and individuals to adopt new practices and technologies to reduce their emissions and store carbon.
Climate Active encourages Australian businesses to become carbon neutral by awarding Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard certification. Read how we administer Climate Active.
The government is developing a new Safeguard Crediting Mechanism to incentivise industry to further reduce emissions. This is in line with recommendations in the King Review.
The Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme reduces emissions by encouraging more electricity generation from renewable sources.

Regulating emissions

Australia’s long-term strategy and domestic actions are underpinned by rigorous emissions monitoring and accountability systems.

The National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme is a single national framework for reporting greenhouse gas emissions, energy production and energy consumption.
The Safeguard Mechanism requires Australia’s largest greenhouse gas emitters to keep their net emissions below an emissions limit.

The government is also developing a regulatory framework for offshore electricity infrastructure projects, including offshore wind and Marinuslink.

Reporting on emissions

Australia has made commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and track progress towards those commitments. We report each year on Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Find out how we track and report greenhouse gas emissions.

Find out how we project Australia’s future greenhouse gas emissions.

Our climate change agencies

We work with our portfolio agencies and organisations on climate change initiatives:

The Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner manages complaints about wind farms, large-scale solar farms, energy storage facilities and new major transmission projects.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) finances low emissions technology and renewable energy projects.
The Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) uses climate simulations to project future climate.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) finances clean energy projects.
The Clean Energy Regulator administers the NGER, ERF, and RET schemes that we develop and oversee.
The Climate Change Authority advises the government on Australia’s climate change policies and future emissions reduction targets.