DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Environment & Climate

Australia's emissions drop significantly, signaling potential turning point

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Australia's greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.1% in the year to December 2025, reaching their lowest point since the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The decline is primarily driven by clean energy replacing fossil fuels in electricity generation, with transport emissions also decreasing.
  • Despite progress, Australia has used 58% of its Paris emissions budget, highlighting the challenge of decarbonizing heavy industry.

Australia is showing encouraging signs of progress in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, with a notable 2.1% decrease in the year leading up to December 2025. This marks the lowest emissions level since the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a potential turning point in the nation's most polluting sectors.

Our transport activity is going up; however, emissions have started to fall.

— Anna MalosA climate policy expert at the Climateworks Centre, commenting on the decrease in transport emissions.

The significant drop is largely attributed to the increasing adoption of clean energy sources, which are displacing fossil fuels in electricity generation. Furthermore, emissions from the transport sector have continued their downward trend for the second consecutive quarter since the pandemic. This shift is partly fueled by a surge in electric vehicle (EV) sales, which have doubled in the past year, now accounting for 20% of new car sales.

It's a shift in particular from petrol vehicles to electric vehicles, and if that continues, then that is really the first time outside of COVID that we've had that fall in transport.

— Anna MalosExplaining the significance of the declining transport emissions.

Climate policy expert Anna Malos noted that while transport activity is increasing, emissions are falling, a trend she described as a "shift in particular from petrol vehicles to electric vehicles." This is the first time since COVID that transport emissions have decreased outside of pandemic-related disruptions. "There are really hopeful signs in that latest report that Australia is making progress towards its emissions reduction targets," Malos stated.

There are really hopeful signs in that latest report that Australia is making progress towards its emissions reduction targets.

— Anna MalosExpressing optimism about Australia's progress on emissions reduction.

However, the latest national greenhouse gas inventory update also underscores the substantial challenge ahead. Australia has committed to ambitious emissions reduction targets under the Paris Climate Agreement, aiming to cut emissions by 43% below 2005 levels and by 62-70% by 2035. Despite the recent progress, the country has already consumed 58% of its allocated Paris emissions budget, even though it is only 55% of the way through the commitment period. Decarbonizing heavy industry remains a critical hurdle.

Good progress over the year, in particular in decarbonisation of electricity supply.

— Dr Frank JotzoA professor of climate change economics describing the progress in the electricity sector.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog