The ACT Government has released the next ACT Climate Change Strategy setting the direction for the next decade of climate action and reaffirming its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2045.
The Strategy comprises 2 parts – an Overarching Framework and Action Plan 1. Further action plans will be added over the coming decade to drive implementation of the Strategy and build on our efforts to date.
The Overarching Framework sets out a vision to create a climate-resilient, climate-positive and nature-positive Canberra while continuing work to meet its net zero emissions target. It sets out priorities across 8 key pillars: natural environment, built environment, transport, energy, circular economy and waste, hard-to-abate emissions, agriculture, and government.
The Strategy is guided by the core principles of equity and resilience, ensuring climate action is fair, practical, and focused on helping Canberra adapt to a changing climate.
Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water, Suzanne Orr said: "Community consultation on the Strategy demonstrated strong support for ambitious climate action while highlighting the need for practical, fair, and locally relevant solutions. The new Strategy reflects the input and ideas from the Canberra community.
"The ACT remains the national leader on climate action. We are showing real progress in reducing our emissions and are now focused on the more complex challenges needed to reach net zero and build a climate-resilient Canberra.
"The pace and scale of change required over the next decade demands a clear focus, taking an informed system-wide response, and building the foundations for sustained long-term progress. This new Strategy sets us up to do just that."
Action Plan 1 includes immediate actions the Government will take over the next few years to continue emissions reductions, strengthen climate resilience and deliver benefits for Canberrans across all 8 pillars.
Key actions funded in the ACT 2026-27 Budget include: supporting active travel such as walking and cycling through better planning, better understanding local community needs to foster climate action, developing a carbon offsets policy, and reducing emissions from government operations. The new Strategy also includes an increased focus on climate adaptation and resilience, recognising that Canberra is already experiencing the impacts of a changing climate.
Action Plan 1 includes new actions to support community service organisations to prepare for climate impacts, reduce urban heat, improve resilience to flash flooding, and begin embedding climate risk management across government.
"A just and equitable transition remains our priority. We will undertake a community needs assessment to better understand the areas of greatest need, which will inform future action over the coming decade," Minister Orr said.
"Transport is our largest source of emissions, and while we are seeing increased uptake in non-polluting transport options, we must continue to expand access to reliable, affordable and low-emissions transport. Over the course of the Strategy, we will continue introducing additional measures to reduce our transport emissions, and through the new Planning and Transport Strategy we will undertake system-wide reforms to support sustained long-term progress."
The new actions under Action Plan 1 will complement existing actions that directly reduce emissions, such as providing assistance for households to transition to renewable electricity and improve their energy efficiency, enabling a transition to electric vehicles, supporting active travel, and phasing out fossil fuel gas. This includes the expanded Sustainable Household Scheme, the construction of the Big Canberra Battery alongside three trial neighbourhood community batteries, 100% renewable energy delivered through reverse auctions, funding support for the installation of new EV chargers across the ACT, the prevention of new gas connections, and the delivery of our ACT Landscape Plan and Nature Conservation Strategy.
"Complementary to the Strategy, we will also progress stakeholder consultation to support the transition away from fossil fuel gas, and we are also initiating a review of the Integrated Energy Plan, to ensure the plan continues to best serve consumers as we decarbonise our economy," Minister Orr said.
"We're also launching a new Sustainable Apartments Program, which will provide tailored expert advice and planning support to help apartment buildings in Canberra begin their transition away from gas and overcome any obstacles to electrification."
