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Sign the Declaration

The Better Futures Australia Declaration is a joint statement of support that brings together private and public sector leaders in taking ambitious climate action to ensure Australia is on track for a prosperous, climate-resilient zero-emissions future, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Sign the Declaration on behalf of your organisation by clicking 'Sign Now' below. 

We are Australian business and industry leaders, investors, local and state and territory governments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, healthcare and social institutions, farmers, developers, unions, workers, artists, academic and cultural institutions, think tanks, and communities. Together, we are committed to leading by example and supporting Australia’s commitment to realise a net-zero emissions economy and society, in line with the Paris Agreement.

We commit to:

  • taking climate actions through individual effort and collaboration to ensure Australia contributes its fair share to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels;
  • showcasing existing initiatives and leading stronger climate commitments and actions to empower other Australians to realise zero emissions opportunities;
  • advocating for a national response that will deliver action at the speed and scale required for Australia to reach net-zero emissions well before 2050, with the majority of emission reductions occurring this decade; and 
  • working together, alongside and in partnership with Federal, State and Local Government leadership, to support the delivery of the Paris Agreement.

We, the members of Better Futures Australia, invite leaders from across Australia that are making serious efforts towards the realisation of a net-zero emissions society and economy to participate in this initiative and join us in helping to ensure our nation can, and will, meet its commitment under the Paris Agreement.

As the world comes together to address the current climate and health crises, we believe accelerating net-zero emissions opportunities is central to our economic recovery and to delivering better futures for us all.

By working together, we can harness the opportunities from investment in clean industries, including renovating and creating zero emissions buildings, transport, cities and regions; electrifying and innovating manufacturing; practising regenerative agriculture and producing carbon-neutral food; restoring land and protecting biodiversity; and creating new jobs in the regions that need them the most - building better futures for all Australians.

We can also seize the opportunity to become a clean energy superpower, via direct renewable energy exports and in future-proof industries like renewable steel, cement, aluminium and hydrogen.

Realising these zero-emissions opportunities is vital to the future health and prosperity of our businesses and communities, and to a stable climate that underpins Australia’s rich ecosystems, wildlife, bush, and oceans, and the healthy soils, air and water that we rely on.

 

Sign Now

 

Visit our Signatories page to see who has signed the Better Futures Australia Declaration. 

Launched in August 2021, Better Futures Australia is a non-partisan partner coalition of the Alliances for Climate Action, collaborating with other domestic multi-stakeholder coalitions to accelerate the transition towards decarbonised and climate-resilient societies around the world.

Domestic partners include Investor Group on Climate Change; Climateworks Centre; Climate and Health Alliance; World Wild Fund Australia; Australian Conservation Foundation; Australian Marine Conservation Society; Nature Conservation Council NSW; The Sunrise Project; Australian Council of Social Service.

The path to a zero-emissions society and a better, healthier, more resilient future requires the traditional knowledge and leadership of First Nations Peoples. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the original custodians of this land and the world’s oldest living culture who sustainably managed this Country for tens of thousands of years. Indigenous sovereignty of this land was never ceded.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Declaration

You can find more FAQs here.

Companies, financial institutions, local councils and cities, state and territory governments, First Nations groups, academic and cultural institutions, farmers, industry bodies, healthcare and social institutions communities, artists, and other organisations which agree with the Declaration can join the initiative. Both individual organisations and coalitions of organisations can join.

Typically, signatories include those who are:

  1. already taking climate action individually;
  2. committed to taking greater climate action individually;
  3. interested in taking climate action in collaboration with other stakeholders; and
  4. willing to speak up publicly with other actors in support of more ambitious climate action.

All members need to sign the Declaration that shares a commitment to take actions and support national and subnational policies that align with net zero before 2050.

Please fill out the declaration form. Currently only those organisations based in Australia can join the initiative.

There is no membership fee required but donations are always welcome. Financial resources for operations are secured by CANA with the support of core-partners. There are no specific requirements for signatories, but they are expected to make active efforts on a voluntary basis.

There are several benefits to participating in BFA including:

  • Reputation: BFA seeks to recognise the leadership of signatories, both domestically and internationally. To do so, BFA leverages the combined communication muscle of BFA members and global partners to: (i) develop a joint public narrative domestically and internationally, identify public opportunities to feature signatories; (ii) develop events where signatories can be featured (as spokespeople and climate champions in their own right); (iii) develop talking points; (iv) connect them to media; etc. Key to this will be what they can show individually and what they aim to do as a collective (alliance).
  • Relational: BFA seeks to connect participating organisations to other stakeholders (local and state governments, companies, investors, civil society, academia, etc.) that can help them achieve their goals and unlock new opportunities by bringing signatories together, identifying areas of joint interest and supporting the development of joint climate actions.  Through the global Alliances for Climate Action, participating stakeholders will be able to connect with stakeholders engaging in ACAs and broader climate action (e.g. international initiatives by global partners such as We Mean Business commitments, C40’s Deadline 2020, etc.) in other countries as well. 
  • Influence: BFA amplifies the individual voices and the collective voice of signatories by putting them shoulder to shoulder with other influential signatories when it comes to both public engagement and coordinated engagement with the national government for climate-related processes.
  • Access to national government: BFA seeks to support a coordinated engagement with the national government to accelerate NDC implementation (e.g. through improved enabling conditions such as regulatory frameworks) and increase NDC ambition (e.g. by jointly identifying areas of high mitigation potential where signatories can play an important role).   
  • Technical: BFA seeks to provide information about / educate about relevant domestic and international policy processes (NDC and relevant national policies/programs, UNFCCC and key international moments), ongoing signatory contributions and opportunities for accelerating action and increasing ambition. BFA also seeks to connect signatories to initiatives that can provide technical support (including the ones from participating partners, such as the Science Based Targets Initiative, the Cities Power Partnership, Climate Action 100+, and direct support), and provide technical support to develop joint asks to the national government.

 

 

The main changes between the original (2020) Better Futures Australia Declaration and the updated 2022 version above are:

  • Acknowledging that as a first world nation reliant on fossil fuel exports, Australia has a large part to play; 
  • Increasing the urgency of the action demonstrating that the bulk of emissions reductions need to happen this decade (in line with research bodies such as the IPCC); and
  • Broadening the scope of the Declaration to encompass more of the Australian society and economy.

See the full changes here.

You can view the original Declaration here and a comparison of what has changed here.

Better Futures employs The 4 A's of Climate Leadership framework, developed by the We Mean Business Coalition. When prospective members sign the BFA Declaration, they respond to criteria that establishes how they are responding to climate change with Ambition. They describe how they are being ambitious through their climate Action, and how they encourage others to take action through Advocacy. Finally, we ask BFA Signatories to ratchet their Ambition, Action and Advocacy each year to keep them Accountable. 

Organisations that seek to join BFA will be at different stages in their climate action journey, and we direct them to the right resources and spaces in the community to continue along their trajectory to net-zero.