Emissions report warns cuts must triple by 2030s as BZE urges “action, not rhetoric”
New data showing Australia is not on track to meet its 2035 emissions target has prompted calls from Beyond Zero Emissions for governments to focus on delivery, coordination and investment in six proven technologies that could cut emissions by more than 80 per cent within eight years.
Australia experienced its hottest year on record to June 2025, with mean temperatures more than 0.25°C above the previous high, according to the Climate Change Authority’s latest Annual Progress Report. Globally, 2024 also set a record, marking the first time average temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels — the threshold agreed under the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Authority reported that Australia’s emissions fell by 10 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent in the year to June 2025, compared with the five-year average of 8 million tonnes. Chair Matt Kean said no other year had achieved a drop of this scale outside the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he noted that to meet the 2030 target of a 43 per cent cut from 2005 levels, annual reductions would need to accelerate to 18 million tonnes. To reach the 2035 goal of a 62–70 per cent reduction, cuts would need to reach between 20 and 25 million tonnes each year.
The report found that the electricity and energy sectors were driving much of the current progress, accounting for half of the national emissions reduction in the past year. Falling costs of solar photovoltaics and lithium batteries, alongside government schemes such as the Capacity Investment Scheme, were spurring investment at both household and industrial levels.
Beyond Zero Emissions: from ambition to delivery
Independent think tank Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) said the projections show Australia is on track to miss its 2035 targets, but that this outcome is not inevitable. Chief Researcher Matt McKee said Australia already has the means to cut emissions rapidly if governments prioritise coordinated delivery across regions.
Six existing technologies — solar, wind turbines, batteries, heat pumps, electric vehicles and electrolysers — could reduce national emissions by over 80 per cent within eight years. McKee said most of Australia’s emissions stem from industries based in regional manufacturing hubs that do not need to “de-industrialise to decarbonise” but instead require help deploying commercially available clean technologies.
BZE’s National Action Plan provides detailed, region-specific pathways to decarbonise heavy industry while supporting jobs and economic resilience. McKee said manufacturers were already investing in cleaner operations but required consistent leadership that aligns infrastructure, policy and funding.
Coordinated regional deployment key to success
BZE CEO Heidi Lee said the latest projections should prompt action across all levels of government. She said this is not a moment for despair, but for practical delivery.
Lee said Australians expect to see visible results such as transmission lines being built, factories powered by renewable energy, and communities benefitting directly from the energy transition. When progress is visible and tangible, climate targets become achievable.
Acceleration needed to stay on course
The Climate Change Authority concluded that while progress is accelerating, the pace must continue to increase. Kean said wind generation must expand rapidly, supported by faster project approvals and fair community engagement.
He noted that as older coal-fired power stations retire, renewables will form a growing share of Australia’s electricity supply. Combined with advances in heat pumps, induction cooking, and electric vehicles, other sectors will be able to lower their emissions through electrification.
Australia’s natural advantages in renewable resources and minerals provide a foundation for the transition. Both the Authority and BZE agree that meeting national emissions targets will depend less on new technology and more on delivery, coordination and regional investment over the coming decade.
