Have your say on Canberra’s next Climate Strategy: It will be make or break

The ACT Government is inviting submissions on its next Climate Change Strategy which will run out to 2035. Public consultation closes on 18 March 2026. I’ve already lodged a submission because this is one of those moments when a government process like this really matters. Decisions made in this strategy will shape not just how Canberra cuts emissions, but whether it remains a liveable, safe and resilient city in a rapidly changing climate.

The ACT has done important things already, and it should get credit for them. Its achievement of 100% renewable electricity was nationally significant. Its investment in electric buses is real and visible. The new Woden facility is Australia’s largest electric bus depot and a strong example of the kind of practical climate infrastructure governments should be building. It charges up to 100 electric buses.

But climate leadership isn’t something you get to claim forever because you were early in one area. Targets and announcements are one thing. Delivery is what matters.

That, and the latest climate science, are why this next strategy is so important. The ACT Government is not meeting it’s existing emissions reduction targets. And across the globe, we’re feeling the impacts of the climate crisis now. This is my submission argues that mitigation and adaptation both need equal and greater priority.

Climate change is no longer a future emergency. It’s not just something for our children or grandkids to worry about. It’s already affecting the way cities like Canberra function, the way infrastructure performs, and the way communities cope with heat, smoke, storms and flood. What Canberra does now on both emissions reduction and climate adaptation will help determine whether it remains a safe, fair and liveable city for the people who live here now.

That means we need stronger and wider mitigation efforts. Transport is one of the hardest sectors, and the ACT needs to keep pushing hard on electrification, public transport and active travel. Electric buses are part of that story, but so is cycling. Canberra won’t seriously cut transport emissions unless it keeps improving cycling infrastructure with safer, more continuous and more dedicated lanes. Active travel isn’t a side issue. It’s climate policy, public health policy and resilience policy all at once.

It also means stronger adaptation. We need buildings, precincts and public infrastructure designed for the climate ahead, not the climate behind us. A city can’t call itself climate-ready if new or upgraded assets are still vulnerable to foreseeable heat, flooding or material failure. The new CIT building in Woden, for example, wasn’t designed for today’s climate. Its basement is closed and its lifts are not fully functional because of flooding damage. Adaptation has to be built into planning, procurement and design from the start.

My submission also makes the point that a serious strategy needs to be put in place on waste reduction, recycling, organics and the circular economy. The ACT once had a ‘No Waste by 2010’ Strategy but that went quietly by the wayside.

And then there’s Country. One of the things I have argued strongly is that this strategy should have a much stronger Caring for Country lens. Not as symbolism. Not as an afterthought. But as part of how the ACT actually becomes more resilient. Caring for Country has practical relevance to biodiversity, urban cooling, water, fire, community wellbeing and long-term stewardship. A better climate strategy for Canberra will be one that takes First Nations knowledge, relationships and governance seriously.

So yes, I’ve made a submission because I think this is a make-or-break moment. The ACT has strong foundations, but now is the test of whether it can turn climate ambition into delivery.

If you live in Canberra or have connections to it and care about it’s future, I encourage you to make a submission before 18 March too. It doesn’t need to be an expert dissertation. Just tell the ACT Government in your own words what it needs to hear clearly - climate efforts need to be stronger, more practical and more honest about the scale of the task ahead. We need a plan that cuts emissions faster, that adapts to the impacts already arriving, and that treats both as equally urgent parts of the same job.

Here’s the link to the ACT Government’s submissions portal.

The ACT’s electric bus depot.