Enviro News Asia, Canberra – The Australian government has warned that the continent is facing increasingly severe climate change threats, following the release of the National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA), which highlights the potential for extreme disasters ranging from heatwaves, bushfires, and major floods to rising sea levels.
Australia’s Climate Change Minister, Chris Bowen, emphasized that decisions taken now will determine the nation’s future.
“Climate change is not a threat that unfolds gradually. Its impacts can strike suddenly and devastatingly. Every degree of warming we can prevent today means saving future generations from worse consequences,” Bowen said at a press conference in Canberra on Monday (15 September 2025).
The NCRA report, released just days before the government sets its 2035 emissions target, underscores that current policies remain insufficient to keep global warming at a safe level. Without a change in global trends, the world is projected to warm by 2.7°C by 2100, making the worst-case scenario of 3°C increasingly likely.
Key NCRA Findings underline several risks:
- Cascading and simultaneous hazards: Events such as tropical cyclones, major floods, heatwaves, bushfires, and air pollution will reinforce one another, triggering broader destruction.
- Regional vulnerability: Queensland, Tasmania, New South Wales, and the ACT are projected to face the fastest-rising risks. Coastal areas, including both major cities and remote communities, face inundation threats and infrastructure damage.
- Indigenous communities at risk: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face high risks of displacement from ancestral lands, loss of cultural identity, and serious impacts on health and well-being.
Bowen described the report as a “wake-up call” for all sectors.
“We cannot afford to wait any longer. Every delay increases the damage. The government will set ambitious targets for 2035, and we call on all sectors—from industry to civil society—to act together in cutting climate pollution,” he asserted.
Climate Council researchers further warned that even a 75% emissions reduction target by 2035 may not be sufficient. Achieving net zero by 2035 is considered the only realistic path to keep global warming below 2°C.
The report is not only a government warning but also a call for collective action: “Clean energy choices, technological innovation, and ambitious policies made today will decide whether Australia can protect its people from the greatest climate crisis in modern history.”
With the Climate Council’s public petition already underway, pressure on the government is mounting to act swiftly. Bowen concluded with a strong message:
“Every ton of emissions we cut today is an investment in a safer future for Australia.”
