Anthony Albanese’s landslide re-election in Australia last weekend has won his government an overwhelming mandate and responsibility to act decisively on its climate promises. The next three years close out what scientists have long warned is the “critical decade” for climate action. That means this is not just another term – it’s Australia’s last real window to shift from climate laggard to climate leader. If Labor fails to act boldly, it won’t just be a political failure, it will be a moral one.
This is also a regional and geopolitical opportunity for the Albanese government. With Australia aiming to co-host COP31 alongside Pacific nations in 2026, this second-term Labor government must demonstrate climate leadership that is real rather than rhetorical. Australia’s Pacific neighbors are demanding urgent action because they are living the consequences of global inaction. COP31 must be a platform to amplify their leadership.
Labor’s win is a temporary reprieve, but real safety can only be secured by actually delivering on its promises. The Albanese government must double down on what is working. As we await Australia’s updated climate target under the United Nations framework, we must push for an ambitious nationally determined contribution of 82 percent renewables by 2030 and 95 percent by 2035, even as we electrify homes, transport, and industry. This means not only scaling up wind, solar, and storage, but doing so in a way that puts communities first.
Labor must also commit – finally and firmly – to ending new fossil fuel approvals. There is no path to a safe climate that includes opening new coal or gas projects. Labor’s continued approval of fossil fuel proposals – like Woodside’s at Scott Reef – disillusioned many who voted for Albanese the first time around.
As Australia positions itself to co-host COP31 with Pacific neighbors, its role should reflect the hope and resilience that the region already shows. The Pacific is on the front lines of the climate crisis and a beacon of moral leadership. COP31 must mark a turning point: an opportunity to center Pacific-led resilience, elevate Indigenous knowledge systems, and finally close the climate adaptation finance gap that’s left too many communities stranded.
That means backing a loss and damage fund, closing the climate adaptation finance gap, and embedding Indigenous and Pacific knowledge into climate strategies. Australia should also ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and lead on marine protection in the Tasman Sea and beyond.
Labor cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of progressive governments elsewhere, who won power on climate promises and then failed to deliver. Just months ago, the polls favored the conservatives, and we may have the Trump effect to thank for the sharp turn the Australian election took away from radical, far-right politics. But we are not out of the woods. Continuing with the business-as-usual cautiousness on climate that has characterized the last three years risks squandering this colossal opportunity, or ceding ground to an even worse far-right resurgence. Australia’s right is already taking notes: mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has urged the Liberal Party to double down on Trump-style politics.
Labor’s climate platform helped win over voters, and the electorate has been clear: people want action. The promise of 82 percent renewables by 2030, a $2.3 billion household battery rollout, and electrification of homes and transport isn’t just smart policy – it’s the minimum needed to secure a climate-safe future. But these targets are not enough on their own. Labor must not treat them as ceilings, but as stepping stones toward deeper, faster transformation.