A landmark Australian report warns that rising oceans and flooding caused by climate change will threaten over 1.5 million Australians by 2050, with risks escalating to about three million by 2090, emphasizing the urgent need for stronger climate policies.

Critical infrastructure in remote communities faces worsening conditions, with vulnerabilities in power, telecommunications, and supply chains, leading to potential relocations and economic impacts.

Climate Minister Chris Bowen highlighted that avoiding each degree of warming now will benefit future generations, as the government released a national adaptation plan to address climate risks and called for more ambitious targets.

The report stresses that climate mitigation is critical to prevent the worst impacts on future generations, including severe threats to biodiversity, ecosystems, and cultural practices of Indigenous peoples.

There is a consensus among climate advocates that more ambitious policies are necessary to prevent escalating disasters, with warnings that current plans aim at higher temperature thresholds like 3 degrees, which could have devastating consequences.

Climate risks are expanding beyond traditional boundaries, with more suburbs classified as critical risk areas, highlighting the need for robust adaptation strategies and policy action.

The government has announced an adaptation plan focusing on vulnerable populations, incorporating climate resilience into construction standards, and ensuring equitable resource distribution to support at-risk communities.

Severe threats to the natural environment include loss of native species, coral bleaching, and ecosystem disruptions, which threaten biodiversity, food security, and the cultural practices of Indigenous peoples.

The report emphasizes that without rapid, deep cuts in emissions, the economic costs from disasters could reach trillions of dollars by the end of the century, and climate impacts are largely inevitable even with immediate action.

Environmental groups criticize the prolongation of fossil fuel projects, arguing it hampers the transition to a greener economy, despite some recent government efforts to promote renewable energy.

Climate experts and NGOs, including the Climate Council, are calling for stronger emissions cuts, warning that delayed action will make protecting communities more difficult and that targets should aim for a 65-75% reduction.

The report underscores the inadequacy of current laws to manage worsening climate impacts and stresses the importance of continuous, legislated risk assessments and urgent mitigation and adaptation actions.

It warns that current efforts are insufficient to prevent significant harm, emphasizing the necessity of more frequent climate assessments and swift action to mitigate threats to communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure.