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
• partnering with our Indo-Pacific neighbours to reduce emissions
• helping to negotiate and meet Australia’s obligations under the Paris Agreement.

Find out about Australia's international climate change commitments.

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 investing in low emissions technologies to reduce Australia’s emissions. This will make low emissions technologies cheaper, and more widely available, so they become the smart choice for businesses and consumers.

Australia's Long-Term Emissions Reduction Plan is a whole-of-economy plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. 

The Technology Investment Roadmap plays an important role in our long-term plan to reduce emissions. Under the roadmap, annual Low Emissions Technology Statements identify government and private sector investment priorities to help drive down the cost of critical low emissions technologies. 

We are using our technology-led approach to work 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
• invest in future fuels and vehicles to reduce transport emissions.

See where we are investing in low emissions technologies

International low emissions technology partnerships

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

• Republic of Korea
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Japan
• Singapore.

Dr Alan Finkel, the Special Adviser to the Australian Government on Low Emissions Technology plays a key role in brokering our partnerships.

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.

Read more

• Read emissions reduction news
• Find climate change consultations on our Consultation hub website 
• Read the government’s response to the recommendations of the King Review
• Australia released a Climate Solutions Package in 2018 to support energy efficiency and renewable energy infrastructure.

See more

• Snowy 2.0 to boost Australia’s renewable energy storage capacity
• Reimagining the car: Australian start-up develops solar-charged, driverless electric vehicle system
• World’s largest renewable energy project set for the Australian outback
• Exporting solar energy under the sea: a potential world first for Australian technology
• From beaches to burps: native Australian seaweed key to reducing methane emissions from cows
• Hydrogen hero: Australian company develops ‘missing link’ in hydrogen supply chain