Albanese Government releases National Climate Risk Assessment and National Adaptation Plan

15 September 2025

On Monday 15 September, Minister for Climate Change and Energy the Hon. Chris Bowen MP released the National Climate Risk Assessment and National Adaptation Plan.

The National Climate Risk Assessment and National Adaptation Plan outline the effect climate change is expected to have on our communities, economy, environment and way of life, and how the government will respond to these risks. Both will inform the Albanese Labor Government’s approach to climate and energy policy and the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

In addition to the release of these two reports, the Albanese Government is expected to release its 2035 emissions reduction target later this week ahead of the United Nations’ Climate Summit in New York on 24 September where Parties to the Paris Agreement will update their Nationally Determined Contributions.

Minister Bowen’s media release on today’s announcement can be found here.

National Climate Risk Assessment

The National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) is Australia’s first comprehensive assessment of the risks posed by climate change across the country. Produced by the Australian Climate Service, it compiles data and analysis from world-leading experts and scientists from the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Geoscience Australia.

The NCRA outlines how climate change could affect the systems we rely on, including health, infrastructure, the economy and the environment. It highlights that:

• climate hazards will get worse under all plausible futures.
• the difference between 2°C and 3°C of global warming is significant.
• early action can reduce long-term costs and protect what we value.

Through the NCRA the Australian Climate Service has identified 11 priority risks across 7 key systems:

• communities – urban, regional and remote
• defence and national security
• economy, trade and finance
• health and social support
• infrastructure and the built environment
• natural environment
• primary industries and food
• water security (cross-system risk)
• supply chains (cross-system risk)
• coastal communities (cross-system risk)
• governance (cross-system risk).

The key findings of the impact climate change could have on Australia outlined in the NCRA include:

• More frequent and severe extreme events like floods, fires and cyclones.
• Sea level rise could mean over 1.5 million people living in areas that will experience sea level rise and coastal flooding risks by 2050.
• Climate change will increase costs, reduce productivity and worsen inequalities.
• Heatwaves could lead to more heat-related deaths, especially in northern Australia.
• Australia’s unique ecosystems are under threat. By 2050, up to 70% of native plant species could face conditions outside their current climate range, risking species loss and ecosystem collapse.

The full NCRA can be found here.

National Adaptation Plan

The National Adaption Plan (NAP) outlines how the Federal Government will respond to the impacts of climate change and the risk of further inaction outlined in the NCRA. The NAP helps coordinate action across sectors and all levels of government, and supports communities, businesses and organisations to plan and adapt.

The key components of the NAP include:

• a vision for a well-adapted Australia.
• principles to guide future action.
• roles and responsibilities across government.
• current and planned adaptation efforts.

The Albanese Government will work with states, territories and local government to create an action agenda for this plan and give effect to priority actions identified for government at all levels of Australian society.

The full NAP can be found here.

Further information 

For more information, please contact Hawker Britton’s Managing Director Simon Banks on +61 419 638 587 Director John Jarrett  on +61 434 384 745.

Further Hawker Britton Occasional Papers on the activities of the Federal Government are available here.