Pathways to Australian decarbonisation

Australia has both a significant opportunity and a responsibility to accelerate the national transition to net zero as one of the world’s highest emitters per capita. The country is highly vulnerable to climate impacts, making the consequences of inaction substantial. Australia is projected to experience increasing extreme heat, flooding and bushfires, along with declining air quality, under a changing climate.

ATSE presents a series of positions focused on enabling emissions reductions across all major sectors of the economy.  Together, these positions are intended to support the Government’s 2035 emissions reduction targets and place Australia on a credible, resilient pathway to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Position 1: Accelerating the electrification and decarbonisation of Australia’s energy systems will enable a globally competitive net zero economy.

Position 2: Investing in research, development, and the commercialisation of technologies critical to the reduction of emissions from non-energy and hard-to-abate sources will enable greater national emissions reductions. 

Position 3: The integrity of carbon accounting is fundamental to the credibility and effectiveness of Australia’s emissions reduction efforts.

Position 4: Coordinated investment in skills development, planning and governance is essential to enable cohesive national action and deliver Australia’s net zero transition.