Australian Climate News In Brief

Here’s Australia’s Climate News in brief hot off the press of the Australian Climate Change Authority.

Heat, floods and record-warm seas define Australia’s year

The nation has experienced its fourth warmest year on record, with maximum and minimum temperatures well above average and heatwave conditions happening throughout the year. The Bureau of Meteorology’s Annual Climate Statement 2025found:

National rainfall was around 8% above average, mainly due to heavy rain and cyclones in the north, while the south stayed generally drier than usual.
Australia’s total surface water storage dropped to 68% of accessible capacity, with the Murray–Darling Basin seeing a bigger fall.
Sea surface temperatures were the warmest on record for the second year in a row.
Antarctic sea ice remained historically low.

For Australia as a whole, the national annual average temperature was 1.23 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

AUD81 million boost for Australia’s largest First Nations-led carbon project

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Australian investment firm, River Capital, have committed $81 million in what will become Australia’s largest First Nations-led carbon initiative on the Tiwi Islands. All 8 Tiwi clans will plant 30,000 hectares of native eucalyptus, which is projected to generate up to 5 million nature-based Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). The project is also expected to create major employment, training and long-term economic opportunities for the Tiwi communities-led carbon initiative.

The Authority is currently reviewing the ACCU Scheme to understand whether it is effectively meeting the needs of a decarbonising economy.

China’s emissions slide, but targets still out of reach

Latest analysis from Carbon Brief shows China’s emissions have been flat or falling for 21 months now, with a 1% drop in the December quarter 2025. China’s carbon intensity is down 12% since 2020, but still short of the country’s 18% target. Most major sectors have been cutting emissions over the last 2 years – cement and other building materials (-7%), transport (-3%) and metals (-3%) – but the chemicals industry jumped 12%. New policies due next month will determine whether China can speed up its progress and reach its target to peak emissions before 2030. China currently releases over one-quarter of total global emissions.

Low‑carbon boom to unlock 375 million jobs

New research from the World Resources Institute shows the transition to a low-carbon economy could create almost 375 million jobs globally over the next decade across energy, construction, manufacturing and agriculture. Adaptation roles may make up 280 million of these jobs, from ecosystem restoration and climate-resilient agriculture and fishery to building retrofits for extreme heat. The Authority’s Sector Pathways Review highlights the need to address workforce shortages as Australia transitions to net zero, reinforcing the importance of skills development and re‑skilling to meet growing demand for climate resilience roles.

Record uptake of home batteries as Australians embrace clean energy shift

Australians are installing home batteries at record levels, according to a Clean Energy Council report. In the second half of 2025, 183,245 battery units were sold after the introduction of the Cheaper Home Batteries scheme. This represents four times as many sales as during the same period in 2024. Total household battery installations have now reached 454,753. Australians also added 2.6 gigawatts of new rooftop solar capacity in 2025, approaching the output of Eraring power station according to the CEC. New South Wales leads in installed capacity while Queensland has the most rooftop solar systems.

Fortescue trials new battery-electric trains

Fortescue has introduced 2 new battery-electric trains into its Pilbara rail fleet, marking a key step in its push to fully decarbonise all operations by 2030. The trains house the world’s largest land-mobile battery and are expected to save one million litres of diesel a year—though this is still a small portion of Fortescue’s overall diesel use. The move comes as BHP also trials battery electric trains, while Rio Tinto has paused its own program, citing battery limitations. Overall, the trials highlight a rapid but uneven shift toward lower emissions rail transport in one of Australia’s highest emitting regions.

UN says the world is in water bankruptcy – here’s what that means

A new United Nations University study warns that the world has entered a state of “water bankruptcy,” with global demand for freshwater now outstripping what natural systems can sustainably provide. Climate change, population growth, pollution and decades of poor water management have resulted in nearly half of the world’s population experiencing severe water scarcity each year. Improvements in water governance, investment in resilient infrastructure and a renewed focus on treating water as a finite resource can help prevent further humanitarian, economic and environmental impacts.

Aerial survey reveals hidden methane pollution

Measurements taken by aircraft in 2023 show that major US oil and gas producing regions may be emitting up to 5 times more methane than companies report to regulators. Researchers found total emissions equivalent to 9 million tonnes a year, with about 90% coming from oil and gas operations rather than other sources like agriculture or landfills. The findings add to growing evidence that emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, are often underreported at oil and gas fields.

The Authority is taking a deep look at opportunities to radically reduce fossil methane emissions in Australia. The project will review the latest developments in technological solutions and measures to leverage research, development and demonstration opportunities in Australia.

New vehicle standards deliver early lift in cleaner cars

The first National Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) results for 2025 show the policy is already shifting the Australian market, with 620,947 new vehicles brought into the fleet in the second half of last year. Of the 59 regulated car brands, around 68% of them beat their emissions targets and generated more than 17 million NVES units. Zero emissions – battery electric or hydrogen fuel-cell – models made up 12% of all covered vehicles, an early sign the standard is shifting the market toward cleaner cars. Each year on 1 January, the amount of tailpipe emissions certain categories of cars can emit across a car brand’s fleet will get lower, reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

Find more here on the Climate Change Authority

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