Live speech - Global Citizen NOW 2026
The Hon. Matt Kean
Chair - Climate Change Authority
Check against delivery.
May I acknowledge the Traditional Owners, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, of the land where I am today, and pay my respects to elders, past and present.
Thank you for the invitation, and all the participants for the passion you have for a cleaner planet.
Let me acknowledge my fellow panellists:
- The Honourable, Dr Maina Talia, Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change and the Environment, of Tuvalu
- Greg Mullins AO, Founder of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action and a former Commissioner of NSW Fire and Rescue.
- Kushla Munro, Deputy Secretary of the Climate Change Group at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and Executive Director for Australia's President of Negotiations for COP31.
They are true leaders on the frontlines, reminding us of the importance of combating the risks of climate change:
- of rising oceans that threaten the existence of our friends in the Pacific
- of unprecedented bushfires and climate-related disasters that turn lives, livelihoods and communities upside down
- of the practical challenge of turning ambition into action at home and abroad as Australia prepares for COP31.
They understand the obligation we have to hand our planet to our kids and grandkids in better shape than we found it, and that it's incumbent on us all to take action on climate change.
The forecasts of climate scientists about extreme weather events, made for decades now, are sadly being vindicated.
The cycle of more intense and frequent bushfires, floods, droughts and cyclones is already impacting our way of life.
The financial toll is mounting, too. The Insurance Council of Australia estimates the cost of extreme weather disasters has more than tripled over the past 3 decades.
That's a bill we all end up paying through higher insurance premiums, taxes and recovery costs.
Last month, the United Nations Environment Programme laid bare the reality that we will cross the 1.5oC degrees benchmark for temperature rises that anchors the Paris Agreement.
But this isn't a moment for despair.
It's time to double down on decarbonisation, and on building resilience into every aspect of our community and economy.
The Climate Change Authority is playing its part - providing independent, expert advice to the Government on the best ways to reduce Australia's emissions and prepare for the effects of changing climate.
This starts with ambitious targets, backed by the pathways to achieving them and removing the barriers to progress.
It comes with giving homeowners, businesses, governments and investors the tools they need to navigate and mitigate risks.
And it's anchored in a firm belief that as a nation, we are as well placed as any on earth to thrive in the move to net zero.
We have the wind, sun and natural resources needed to power green energy. Australia receives enough sunshine in a single year to meet our annual energy needs many thousands of times over.
Australia's biggest power station isn't a coal plant. It's 4.5 million Australian homes hosting solar panels. And more home batteries were sold in Australia in the second half of last year than in the previous 4 years combined. That's how quickly change happens when Australians view technology as affordable and beneficial.
We have the technology, capital and workers needed to propel decarbonisation across the economy.
We are also helping our neighbours and trading partners across the region pivot to net zero. Australian-backed solar panels and batteries are helping Palau reduce its reliance on expensive imported diesel - and helping increase renewables to 25% of Palau's electricity grid. That's what our Pacific neighbours need: greater energy security, lower costs, and fewer emissions.
By being a global pacesetter in the shift to net zero, we can secure Australia's future prosperity.
I'm confident we can rise to the occasion and look forward to discussing it further with this outstanding panel.
Thank you again for the opportunity to speak.
