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- Policies and initiatives
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- Applying to export rough diamonds
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- Regulating the Ranger Uranium Mine
- Taxes and royalties on minerals and petroleum
Measurement
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Business support
- Funding and incentives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Australian Square Kilometre Array Fellowships Programme
- Business Research and Innovation Initiative
- Business-research collaboration
- Collaborating with Asia-Pacific on science, research and innovation
- Collaborating with China on science and research
- Collaborating with India on science and research
- Cooperative research centres
- Enabling international space investment
- Industry 4.0
- Inspiring Australia: Science engagement in Australia
- International research collaboration
- Moon to Mars: opportunities for Australian businesses
- Prime Minister's Prizes for Science
- Research and Development Tax Incentive
- Supporting advanced manufacturing
- Supporting business and innovation
- Supporting space infrastructure growth
- Transitioning Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry
- Venture capital
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- Anti-Dumping Review Panel
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- Australian SKA Office
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- Critical Minerals Facilitation Office
- National Measurement Institute
- Office of Innovation and Science Australia
- Office of Northern Australia
- Office of the Chief Economist
- Office of the Chief Scientist
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- Annual report
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- Grants reporting
- Information Publication Scheme
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- Privacy impact assessments
- Public interest disclosure
- Senate Order 15: portfolio appointments and vacancies
Our online presence
Contact
- Publications
- News
- Policies and initiatives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Artificial intelligence
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian Space Agency
- Boosting innovation and science
- Co-hosting the Square Kilometre Array
- Increasing international collaboration
- Industry growth centres
- Industry Innovation and Science Australia
- National Measurement Institute
- Optical astronomy in Australia
- Participating in the digital economy
- Promoting innovation precincts
- Science in our department
- Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
Energy
Resources
Northern Australia
Trade
Business support
Measurement services
Government to government services
- Regulations and standards
Emissions reduction
Energy
Resources
- Applying to export rough diamonds
- Applying to export uranium and controlled ores
- Offshore mineral exploration and mining
- Offshore oil and gas exploration and development
- Offshore petroleum exploration acreage release process
- Regulating offshore oil and gas in Australian Commonwealth waters
- Regulating the Ranger Uranium Mine
- Taxes and royalties on minerals and petroleum
Measurement
Trade
Space industry
Building industry
Business support
- Funding and incentives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Australian Square Kilometre Array Fellowships Programme
- Business Research and Innovation Initiative
- Business-research collaboration
- Collaborating with Asia-Pacific on science, research and innovation
- Collaborating with China on science and research
- Collaborating with India on science and research
- Cooperative research centres
- Enabling international space investment
- Industry 4.0
- Inspiring Australia: Science engagement in Australia
- International research collaboration
- Moon to Mars: opportunities for Australian businesses
- Prime Minister's Prizes for Science
- Research and Development Tax Incentive
- Supporting advanced manufacturing
- Supporting business and innovation
- Supporting space infrastructure growth
- Transitioning Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry
- Venture capital
Resources
- About us
COVID-19
Jobs
Who we are
- Our Ministers
- Our Executive team
- Organisation chart
- Our portfolio agencies
- Overseas engagement
- Anti-Dumping Commission
- Anti-Dumping Review Panel
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian SKA Office
- Australian Space Agency
- Critical Minerals Facilitation Office
- National Measurement Institute
- Office of Innovation and Science Australia
- Office of Northern Australia
- Office of the Chief Economist
- Office of the Chief Scientist
Who we work with
Reporting and accountability
- Annual report
- Assurance and Audit Committee
- Budget statements
- Campaign Certification Statements
- Continuing Order of the Senate
- Corporate plan
- Deregulation agenda
- Freedom of information
- Gifts and benefits register
- Grants reporting
- Information Publication Scheme
- Our contracts
- Privacy impact assessments
- Public interest disclosure
- Senate Order 15: portfolio appointments and vacancies
Our online presence
Contact
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- Policies and initiatives
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- Australia’s climate change strategies
- International climate change commitments
On this page
International climate change commitments
Australia is playing its part in the global challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Australia is party to the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement came into force in 2016. It builds on ongoing international efforts to address climate change under the:
The Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by:
- holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
- pursuing efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C
Under the Paris Agreement, Australia must submit emissions reduction commitments known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Australia first communicated its NDC in 2015, committing to an ambitious economy-wide target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28% below 2005 levels by 2030.
Australia recommunicated its NDC in 2020, affirming Australia’s 2030 target and outlining Australia’s practical, technology-focused approach to driving emission reductions, including new action and measures undertaken since 2015.
Australia will submit its next NDC, with a post–2030 target, to the UNFCCC in 2025.
Meeting Australia’s obligations
Our department works with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Agriculture, Water and Energy to negotiate and meet Australia’s obligations under the Paris Agreement.
Our role includes:
- leading negotiations for Australia on land sector and transparency issues in the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, including in relation to Australia's greenhouse gas inventories, emission projections and tracking progress to targets
- reporting Australia's emissions, climate change policies, and progress towards its targets to the UNFCCC
- approving participation in Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation projects under the Kyoto Protocol
- administering a number of aid projects providing support for developing countries
- managing a number of domestic policies that support Australia meeting its targets
- facilitating industry and private sector collaboration as a member of the Leadership Group for Industry Transition and Mission Innovation
We also participate in a range of multilateral forums and bilateral partnerships to promote Australia’s climate change interests. These partnerships strengthen the global response to climate change.
Read more
- Read about Australia’s domestic actions for climate change
- Read the 2017 review of the Australian Government’s climate change policies
See also
- Paris Agreement [2016] ATS 24 (entered into force for Australia 10 December 2016).
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change done in New York, 9 May 1992, [1994] ATS 2 (entered into force generally and for Australia 21 March 1994).
- Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, done in Kyoto, 11 December 1997, [2008] ATS 2 (entered into force for Australia 11 March 2008).
- Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, done in Doha, 8 December 2012, [2016] ATNIA 11, [2016] ATNIF 24.
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Last updated: 2 February 2021
Content ID: 67487