Submission – Climate Change Authority 2026 Annual Progress Advice

The emissions reduction targets in Australia's updated Nationally Determined Contribution, based on the Climate Change Authority's advice, is a range from 62–70% below 2005 levels by 2035. The Academy reiterates its position that Australia must pursue the highest end of this target.

Based on current policies globally, we are on track to experience warming of 2.8 °C. This submission offers advice to strengthen Australia's climate change policy and ensure that Australia maintains the scientific capability that is needed to:

• enhance our climate modelling and understanding
• accelerate the energy transition
• reduce emissions and remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere
• prepare our communities and environment to adapt to climate change impacts.

The Academy recommends that:

• the Australian Government should coordinate Australia’s climate modelling capability and formalise responsibilities across relevant organisations to ensure Australia’s participation in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP), recognising the essential role of this capability for Australia and that Australia provides for the region
• the Australian Government should establish an Australian Institute for Earth System Science, tasked with developing, coordinating and implementing the national strategies required to deliver answers to nationally significant climate change questions, including the capability required to strengthen climate modelling
• the Australian Government should commit to sustaining and securing open climate science and international collaboration on climate change mitigation and adaptation in its Annual Climate Change Statement
• the Australian Government should maintain its leadership in the region through supporting Australia’s role as a trusted scientific partner in the Asia-Pacific
• the Australian Government should set and implement national targets for scope 3 emissions reductions, methane emissions reductions and greenhouse gas removal
• the Climate Change Authority should explicitly address marine sectors and systems in its reference pathways
• the Australian Government should strategically direct resources to address science capability gaps to strengthen the ability of Australia to mitigate and adapt to climate change.