Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to climate action, stating the country will stay on course despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement for a second time.
On Jan. 20, Trump formally signed executive orders to pull the United States out of the global climate pact.
In response, Albanese emphasised Australia’s independent approach.
“We’re a sovereign nation. We will continue to take action on climate change, not just because we have an interest in meeting the challenge. We know that Australia’s particularly been adversely affected by extreme weather events ... We know that we’re particularly vulnerable,” he told Channel 7.
Albanese acknowledged the global impact of the United States’ withdrawal but said Australia’s priorities remain unchanged.
“We are a sovereign nation, and we’ll continue to take action on climate change, not just because we have an interest in meeting the challenge. We know that Australia’s particularly been adversely affected by extreme weather events,” he said.
He pointed to the devastating 2019-2020 bushfires as an example.
“We recall, everyone, the fires just about every year, but particularly 2019-2020, that had a devastating impact on this country,” he said.
Albanese said there were also economic opportunities that come with climate action.
Federal Energy Minister Backs Commitment
Energy Minister Chris Bowen reiterated the government’s resolve, stating that Trump’s re-election does not change Australia’s climate policies.“The election of a new president doesn’t change some fundamentals, regardless of what approach he takes,” Bowen told ABC Radio.
He said it was important to tackle global warming, pointing to the leadership role middle powers like Australia must play.
“The United States is responsible for just a bit more than 10 percent of the world’s emissions. So, does that mean the rest of the 90 percent of us don’t bother anymore, even if the U.S. does withdraw action? No, it doesn’t,” Bowen added.
The Albanese government is currently reviewing its 2035 emissions targets as part of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the Paris Agreement.
Australia already has a 2050 net-zero goal and aims to have its electricity grid 82 percent powered by renewables by 2030.
Trump’s Climate Policy Reversal
On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from what he called the “unfair one-sided Paris climate accord rip off.”A letter was also sent to the United Nations, starting the formal withdrawal process, which will take about a year.
During Trump’s first term, his withdrawal had limited immediate impact due to U.N. regulations delaying the process until 2020.
This time, however, the exit could be formalised within a year as the United States will not be bound by the agreement’s initial three-year commitment.
In contrast, the outgoing Biden administration had set ambitious climate goals, including new targets for a 61–66 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 compared to 2005 levels.
The Biden government had aimed to make the United States a net-zero economy by 2050 through the Inflation Reduction Act and other initiatives.
Albanese stressed that Australia’s climate strategy would remain on track.
“We will stay the course because it’s in our national interest,” he said.
