Join us in shaping Australia's climate policy by endorsing our Open Letter to Minister Chris Bowen.
As we approach the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), we invite you to endorse our Open Letter and join a global campaign.
The Mission 2025 campaign, spearheaded by the We Mean Business Coalition, responds to the urgent need for enhanced climate targets, known as National Determined Contributions (NDCs), before the February 2025 deadline. A coalition of real economy leaders called “Mission 2025” – representing mayors, premiers, CEOs, investors and citizens – is calling for governments to align their upcoming national climate plans with the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Because holding the line on 1.5°C is not an aspirational target – it is a scientific imperative.
By endorsing this letter, you are joining a worldwide push to influence pivotal climate policies at COP29.
Please read the Open Letter below and upload your organisation's logo before Monday, September 9th to confirm your support.
9 September 2024
Dear Minister Bowen,
We, the undersigned members of the Better Futures Australia alliance, represent over seven million Australians standing with you to deliver decisive action for securing a safe climate.
We acknowledge the global leadership Australians have already taken in adopting and driving solar and battery technology. Our families are world champions in adopting rooftop solar, our technology is used in most of the world’s solar cells, and our universities and businesses are at the forefront of developing cheaper and safer solar and battery technologies. Our lands are also rich in critical minerals needed for the clean energy transition.
February 2025 presents a significant opportunity for the Australian government to match this ambition, helping to limit global warming while creating jobs and investment.
This week, the Better Futures Forum gathers hundreds of leaders from every sector—including First Nations-led organisations, finance and faith communities, cities and states, businesses large and small, agriculture, resources and energy sectors, health and social services, unions, think tanks, and higher education. The Better Futures Australia alliance’s strength lies in this diversity, united in our determination to rise to the challenges and opportunities climate change presents.
We call on you to submit an upgraded national climate target (known as a Nationally Determined Contribution or NDC) to the UN by February 2025, enhancing our targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% below 2005 levels by 2030, and achieve net-zero by 2035. This target aligns with the Paris Climate Agreement and global Mission 2025 coalition’s aim to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Strengthening our NDC also positions Australia as a credible leader in global climate negotiations, essential as we aspire to co-host COP31.
Benefits of a strengthened NDC include:
- Scaling up renewable energy, making it more accessible and affordable.
- Supporting industries to transition to a low-carbon economy, enhancing competitiveness.
- Creating new jobs and export industries.
- Ensuring equitable living standards for all Australians.
- Unlocking trillions in private investments to protect nature and promote sustainable development.
- Signalling a strong and genuine commitment to the Pacific region.
Key Actions Needed:
To contribute fairly to the global effort, be 1.5°C-compatible, and uphold its commitment to the Paris Agreement, Australia must:
- Develop and implement detailed, long-term, Paris-aligned sectoral policies to phase out fossil fuels.
- Achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030, ensuring a just transition for workers and communities.
- Prioritise funding to ensure that communities experiencing disadvantage benefit from the transition and are not left behind.
- Legislate commitments from COP28, including the Global Methane Pledge and the Clean Energy Transition Partnership.
- Enforce climate disclosures and robust transition plans across industries.
- Set strategic targets for nature, food, and finance sectors ahead of COP29/COP16.
Australia must not fall behind. Delay compromises both our environmental integrity and economic resilience, and widens the gap between Australia and global climate leadership. We must lead with ambition, not delay, and ensure our policies reflect the urgency of the climate crisis and our responsibility in the global community.
We are ready to work with your government to implement an effective Net Zero Plan that phases out fossil fuels in a fair and orderly way, drives down emissions, fosters a thriving economy, and builds climate resilient communities.
We look forward to collaborating across the economy and society to implement actionable sectoral plans that align with an ambitious NDC, ensuring a prosperous, climate-resilient, and zero-emissions future for Australia.
Sincerely,
1. Australia has the world’s highest per-capita solar energy penetration, with almost one in three homes hosting PV panels. The Guardian: https://bit.ly/4ctvoix
2. Professor Martin Green’s PERC solar cells are now the global standard and sales of their technology is expected to exceed US $1 trillion by 2030. Available online: https://bit.ly/4dKaMna
3. We are the world’s leading lithium producer and have some of the world’s largest reserves of critical minerals. Available online: https://tinyurl.com/4x5hmca6
4. Climate Targets Panel, University of Melbourne, "Report on Australia’s Climate Targets," 2021. Available online: Climate Targets Panel Report.