The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Climate Change Strategy 2026-36 was released this month with a renewed commitment to climate resilience and emissions reduction. The strategy maps out eight target areas, including the built environment. Targets include reaching net zero by 2045, restoring and supporting nature, and adapting the city to face a changing climate.

Along with built environment, the other target areas are natural environment, transport, energy, circular economy and waste, hard-to-abate emissions, agriculture and government.

“Canberra has already made strong gains in cutting emissions and preparing for a changing climate. However, the pace and scale of change required over the next decade demand a clear focus, taking an informed system-wide response and building the foundations for sustained long-term progress,” says Suzanne Orr, Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water.

Key measures for the built environment sector include mitigating urban heat and delivering climate-ready homes, reducing whole life carbon and an ongoing commitment to require independent sustainability ratings on all major government projects.

One of the additions to the latest strategy includes a pilot to measure and value emission impacts on major government transport planning and infrastructure projects.

Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) CEO Davina Rooney said the latest strategy and accompanying action plan strongly aligns with GBCA’s own priorities, in particular the ongoing commitment to electrification.

“The strategy and action plan’s strong focus on resilience and climate adaption, particularly evident in the commitment to support Canberrans to electrify, is heartening to see. It is clear this plan has been mapped out to ensure progress is fair and equitable – and, critically, doesn’t leave anyone behind,” said Rooney. “These are the steps we called for and outlined in our report, ‘Every Building Counts‘, in 2023.”

The move towards electrification is a critical shift as the national grid transitions towards a more renewable future.

“Buildings account for over 50 percent of electricity use in Australia and almost a quarter of its emissions, but we have the technology to decarbonise now at speed and scale. The built environment can move the needle on emission reduction now, all while smoothing the way for hard-to-abate sectors to electrify,” explained Rooney. “We need to be focusing more on climate adaptation, and that’s what the ACT’s action plan succeeds at. Delivering climate-ready homes and communities, protecting nature and increasing our pool of resilient infrastructure will set Canberrans up for a better, healthier and more sustainable future.”

Read the full ACT Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan below:

ACT Climate Change Strategy 2026-36: Overarching Framework

ACT Climate Change Strategy 2026-36: Action Plan 1

Top image: Photo: Social Estate, Unsplash.