Australia Targets 62-70% GHG Reduction by 2035 Under New NDC

The Australian government announced a new Nationally Determined Contribution targeting a 62% to 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, measured against a 2005 baseline. The announcement accompanies more than AUD $8 billion in new climate investments spanning industrial decarbonization, clean electricity, low-carbon fuels, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled Australia's updated climate goal alongside a Net Zero Plan and six sector-level emissions reduction roadmaps. The 2035 NDC, which will replace Australia's current target of a 43% reduction by 2030, covers six sectors: Electricity and Energy, Agriculture and Land, Built Environment, Industry, Resources, and Transport. A new AUD $5 billion Net Zero Fund will help industrial facilities decarbonize, supported by AUD $2 billion for the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and AUD $1.1 billion for clean fuels production.

The announcement positions Australia among the more ambitious developed economies ahead of the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil. A key priority area within the Net Zero Plan is accelerating renewable electricity generation combined with new transmission and storage capacity. Land-based carbon removal approaches, particularly reforestation, are highlighted as the most cost-effective means of balancing residual emissions that remain after abatement efforts in hard-to-reach sectors.

The Net Zero Plan outlines a pathway to Australia's 2050 net zero target and signals a significant step up in ambition under the Paris Agreement's ratchet mechanism. Infrastructure priorities include EV fast-charging networks, household energy efficiency programs, and support for decarbonization in the sports sector. The government indicated its intention to submit the new NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ahead of COP30.

Key figure — AUD $8 billion in new climate investments