In April 2024 the Climate Change Authority published its 2024 Issues paper: Targets, Pathways and Progress, which sets out the authority's initial considerations in making recommendations to the Australian Government regarding its 2035 emissions reduction targets. The authority's initial advice to government suggests that a 2035 target in the range of 65-75% below 2005 levels would be both "ambitious" and "achievable".
Australia's 2035 emissions reduction target is a crtical milestone that will shape national policy and investment certainty over the coming decade. The Labor Government is currently awaiting final advice from the authority before announcing its 2035 target. All signatories to the global Paris Agreement are required to set emissions reduction targets out to 2035 by September this year.
The decision on Australia's 2035 emissions target and Nationally Determined Contribution has been taken to Cabinet, with the Commonwealth intending to release the target in "the coming weeks", according to a 15 August 2025 Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council Communique.
GHG Emissions Regulation
Live: Australia is set to announce its 2035 GHG emissions target by September 2025.
GHG Emissions Regulation
Live: Australia is set to announce its 2035 GHG emissions target by September 2025.
In a 26 August media release, Business for 75, a coalition of business leaders calling for Australia to commit to a 2035 emissions target of at least 75%, released modelling by Deloitte suggesting that Australia's GDP will likely be $370 billion greater by 2035 under a 75% emissions reduction target, compared to current projections. The coalition's media release was accompanied by supporting comments from a number of Australia's largest companies, including Fortescue Chief Executive Dino Otranto, who stated that the "Australian business community is ready to back a strong emissions target of 75 per cent".
The Business for 75 campaign's open letter to the Australian Government has been signed by over 350 businesses, including IKEA, Unilever, Atlassian, Fortescue, Volvo Group Australia, Squadron Energy, the Energy Efficiency Council and the Smart Energy Council.
The Australian Government is intending to release its final target in "the coming weeks" according to a 15 August Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council Communique.
A growing number of businesses are calling on the Australian Government to commit to a +75% emissions reduction target by 2035. Over 300 businesses have signed on to the Business for 75% campaign, including Fortescue, Unilever, Atlassian, Volvo Group Australia, Squadron Energy and the Smart Energy Council. The federal government is required to announce its 2035 emissions reduction target by September.
In a 31 July press release, Squadron Energy Chief Executive Rob Wheals communicated support for the Business for 75% campaign, a business-led campaign calling on the Australian Government to commit to a 75% emissions reduction target by 2035, stating that an ambitious target will show “Australia is serious about decarbonising” and “give investors and industry the confidence they need to get on with the job.” While the CEO appeared to support the decarbonization of Australia's energy sector in the same press release, Squadron Energy has also previously advocated for continued fossil gas supply in Australia via LNG import terminals, for example in a 14 March press release.
On 23 July, Fortescue, alongside Future Group and Bank Australia, launched the Business for 75% campaign, a business-led campaign calling on the Australian Government to commit to a 75% emissions reduction target by 2035. The campaign includes an open letter to the Australian Government advocating for a 2035 emissions reduction target of at least 75%, noting that a 75% target will "set the right policy direction to drive action and investor confidence" and "strengthen Australia's position in global supply chains". Fortescue CEO, Dino Otranto, reiterated the company's support for an ambitious 2035 target in a 23 July Sydney Morning Herald article, stating that Fortescue believes the government "must set a 75 per cent emissions reduction target for 2035".
In a 14 July article in The Australian, Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI) Chief Executive Andrew McKellar stated that an Australian 2035 emissions reduction target of between 65% and 75%, as suggested by the Climate Change Authority, would be “exceedingly challenging for the Australian economy.” McKellar’s comment follows the publication of the association’s May 2025 submission to the Productivity Commission’s Five Pillars of Productivity Inquiry in which the ACCI presented its concerns about the achievability and economic costs of the discussed 2035 target, stressing the need to focus on market-based solutions to reduce emissions across the economy. In the same submission, the association also called on the Australian government to “unlock restrictions on gas exploration and streamline approvals,” emphasizing the need for increased domestic fossil gas supply.
In an 11 June opinion piece in The Daily Telegraph, NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee emphasized the economic risk of ambitious 2035 greenhouse gas emissions targets in Australia, stating that higher targets would cost more jobs in heavy industries like mining and manufacturing and further increase electricity prices.
Galilee, who was commenting on Australia’s chance to co-host the 2026 Conference of the Parties (COP31) under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), suggested that the Australian Government prioritized a “highly ambitious target” for 2035 to enhance the country’s prospects of securing the hosting rights for COP31 over long-term economic objectives. The CEO put forward this claim as the development of the 2035 targets is currently underway and Australia’s next Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is due later this year.
In its 2024 Climate Transition Plan, published in September 2024, Fortescue Metals Group advocated for the Australian Government to phase-out fossil fuel subsidies and to introduce fossil fuel phase-out targets to support the transition to renewables and other green fuels. The company also advocated for Australia to set a science-based 2035 greenhouse gas emissions target of at least 75 per cent below 2005 levels.
A broad coalition of companies and industry associations representing the energy and metals and mining sectors have cautioned against an ambitious 2035 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for Australia in recently released submissions to an April 2024 Issues Paper on Australia’s 2035 target. Several companies and associations, including the Australian Energy Producers, Minerals Council of Australia, Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, Energy Networks Australia, and the APA Group advocated for various exceptions to the development of the country’s 2035 target, emphasizing that a 2035 target should align with the availability of technological development, should not compromise industry competitiveness, must minimize impacts to the economy, and must not be overly ambitious. In addition, both Woodside and the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association appeared to use their submissions to suggest that continued government support for fossil gas would be required to achieve an ambitious 2035 target.
In contrast to this advocacy, several companies and associations, including Origin Energy, Fortescue Metals Group, AGL the Carbon Market Institute and the Clean Energy Council advocated for an ambitious 2035 target that is consistent with Australia’s commitments under the Paris Agreement to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C.
The table below lists the entities found to be most engaged with the policy. InfluenceMap tracks over 1000 companies and 330 industry associations globally. Each entity name links to its full InfluenceMap profile, where the evidence of its engagement can be found.
| Influencemap Performance Band | Organization | Policy Position | Policy Engagement Intensity |
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