Australia is preparing to launch its first Australia’s Climate Risk Assessment, a landmark report that will outline the growing impacts of climate change on the nation, both now and in the decades ahead. After years of destructive bushfires, floods, droughts, and heatwaves costing billions, this report aims to equip governments, emergency services, businesses, and communities with the data needed to tackle escalating climate challenges.
Here’s what the report is expected to highlight:
- Rising Climate Threats: The assessment will detail how climate change is already hitting Australians hard, with extreme weather events like floods in Queensland and NSW, cyclones, and droughts in Victoria and Tasmania costing over $1.8 billion in 2025 alone. It will project future risks, including overwhelmed emergency services, health crises in rural areas, and potential displacement due to failing infrastructure.
- Urgent Need to Cut Emissions: The report will show how risks worsen as global temperatures rise. At 1.51°C of warming today, Australia faces severe weather, but at 2°C by 2050, expect longer fire seasons, heavier rains, and deadly heatwaves, with over 750,000 properties becoming uninsurable. At 3°C by 2100, cities like Sydney could see 50°C days, and coastal flooding could threaten up to 250,000 homes. Reducing global emissions is critical to limit these dangers.
- A Tool for Preparedness: For the first time, Australia will have a unified source of climate risk data, addressing a gap noted after the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires. An interactive online tool will let Australians explore local climate risks for 2050 and 2090, helping everyone from firefighters to families plan for the future.
However, experts like Emergency Leaders for Climate Action point out three critical areas the report should address:
- Link to Fossil Fuels: The report must clearly connect worsening disasters to the burning of coal, oil, and gas. Australia’s temperature has risen 1.51°C since 1910, driving more intense storms and fires. Emissions from major fossil fuel companies have caused trillions in global economic losses, and Australians deserve transparency on this link.
- Protecting At-Risk Communities: Some regions, like parts of eastern Victoria and northern Queensland, have needed disaster aid over 25 times since 2006. The government’s upcoming National Adaptation Plan should prioritize these vulnerable areas with funded measures, such as stronger homes or, in extreme cases, community relocations.
- Bolder Government Action: With the Albanese Government setting a 2035 climate target, the report underscores the need for ambitious goals, ideally net zero by 2035. Every fraction of a degree matters, saving lives and reducing pressure on emergency services. Investing in adaptation now could save $2 to $11 for every dollar spent on future recovery.
Greg Mullins, a former fire commissioner and founder of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, emphasizes that this assessment must spark urgent action to protect Australians from a future of intensifying climate risks.
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