ANALYSIS: Re-elected, But Not Redeemed — Australia’s Climate Reckoning

[SUVA, 5 May 2025] — Australia’s 2025 federal election has returned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term—opening a window to reshape Pacific-Australia climate relations.

While the election results are largely a better outcome than a Dutton-led coalition where climate change action may have seen significant roll-backs and weakening, this is still no moment to celebrate, as Albanese’s government’s current policies will exceed the 1.5°C survival target for the Pacific, and enhance militarisation of our oceans.

This is not a moment for pure celebration — as Australia positions itself as a climate leader — it is a moment of urgency, to arm ourselves with the facts, as the band-aids on open wounds will not heal the harm to the Pacific.

The Albanese government’s climate record from a justice and equity perspective reveals significant shortcomings, particularly in addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on Pacific communities and future generations.

PICAN's analysis challenges the dominant narrative of Australia’s climate leadership. It examines:

• the expansion of fossil fuel exports

• Australia’s role in breaching the 1.5°C limit

• gaps in climate justice and Pacific diplomacy

• the impact of domestic policies on Pacific peoples

A must-read analysis for Pacific communities, alloes, and climate activists seeking to understand what lies ahead.

Download the full analysis here