Australia has unveiled its updated climate target, pledging to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 62%–70% below 2005 levels by 2035. This announcement, made ahead of the COP30 climate summit, represents the country’s revised Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement.

The government framed the target as the highest ambition currently achievable, given the scale of economic and industrial challenges. To support the transition, Australia pledged A$5 billion to help decarbonize major industrial facilities, alongside A$2 billion in new funding for the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to stabilize electricity prices as the energy system shifts toward renewables.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the plan as both ambitious and realistic. He emphasized that setting a target beyond what can be delivered would undermine credibility: “We must set goals that drive progress, not promises that remain out of reach.”

Still, the response has been mixed. Environmental groups such as Greenpeace and WWF-Australia criticized the plan as falling short of the 65%–75% reduction range recommended by scientific assessments to align with limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. Critics also point to the government’s decision to extend certain natural gas projects and delay coal phase-outs, arguing that these measures undercut the seriousness of the pledge.

The debate highlights the tension between ambition and feasibility for resource-intensive economies like Australia. With some of the highest per-capita emissions in the world, the country faces increasing international pressure to accelerate its transition away from fossil fuels.

The timing of this target is significant. The United Nations has called on all nations to strengthen their commitments ahead of COP30, and Australia’s updated pledge joins a wave of new targets being announced. Yet as environmental advocates stress, numbers on paper are not enough. The real measure of success will be in implementation: how quickly emissions fall, how effectively industries adapt, and how decisively fossil fuels are phased out.

Australia’s new 2035 target is therefore both a step forward and a source of controversy. Whether it becomes a turning point in the nation’s climate policy—or another example of political compromise in the face of urgent scientific warnings—will depend on the actions taken in the years ahead.