The Australian Parliament has requested that the Climate Change Authority (CCA) review the potential technology transition and emissions pathways that best support Australia’s transition to net zero by 2050 for the following sectors:

  • Electricity and energy
  • Transport
  • Industry and waste
  • Agriculture and land
  • Resources
  • Built environment.

The authority must identify opportunities, technologies, barriers, workforce matters, information gaps, and the role of public and private finance in its review of sectoral pathways.

The review was requested under Section 59 of the Climate Change Authority Act (2011) and will be delivered by 1 August 2024. The terms of reference are set out below.

The authority welcomes the opportunity to consult widely and provide advice to government on decarbonisation pathway. Through examining each sector’s opportunities to achieve emissions reductions and barriers that might stand in the way, the sectoral pathways review will outline how Australia could achieve net zero by 2050, and how far sectors could go by 2035. 

Work is already underway in the authority to develop advice on Australia’s 2035 emissions reduction targets, due to government no earlier than 1 October 2024. 

In the months ahead, the authority will also deliver its advice for the Minister’s annual climate change statement and reviews of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme and Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) scheme. 

The sectoral pathways review was requested under Section 59 of the Climate Change Authority Act (2011) and will be delivered by 1 August 2024.

Referral to the Climate Change Authority from the Australian Parliament (11 September 2023)

That:

  1. the following matter be referred to the Climate Change Authority for review, in accordance with section 59(1)(a)(ii) of the Climate Change Authority Act 2011:
        a. the potential technology transition and emission pathways that best support Australia’s transition to net zero emissions by 2050 for the following sectors:
                    (i) electricity and energy;
                    (ii) transport; 
                    (iii) industry and waste; 
                    (iv) agriculture and land; 
                    (v) resources; and 
                    (vi) built environment.
  2. the review must identify:
        a. existing and prospective opportunities to achieve emissions reductions; 
        b. which technologies may be deployed in each sector to support emissions reductions;
        c. how public and private finance can support and align with these emission pathways;
        d. barriers to implementation, such as short-term or longer-term pressures on cost and supply chains and the pace of technology commercialisation;
        e. workforce matters, including skills and opportunities for women;
        f. any gaps in existing evidence and data; and
        g. any other relevant factors;
  3. the review must take into consideration:
        a.     the principles for the Climate Change Authority set out in section 12 of the Climate Change Authority Act 2011 , including the global goals in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement and boosting economic, employment and social benefits; and
        b. the range of emissions reductions achievable through the deployment of available and prospective technologies;
  4. the Climate Change Authority must give the report of the review to the Climate Change Minister, in accordance with section 60(1)(b) of the Climate Change Authority Act 2011, by 1 August 2024 to assist the Government in developing a national net zero by 2050 plan. 
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