Thursday 18 September 2025
Prime Minister Albanese has failed young Australians and betrayed their future by setting a weak climate target of 62-70 per cent for 2035 that falls far short of what the science demands to prevent the worst climate damage.
‘Generation Justice’ - a group of young people that recently lodged a UN human rights complaint over Australia’s climate inaction - says Albanese's new target of 62-70 per cent condemns their generation to a terrifying future of worsening disasters and violates their human rights.
In July, UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged the Albanese government to not pick a ‘bog-standard number’ for its new climate target. But today’s shock news shows his call was ignored and raises serious questions about whether Australia will meet its obligations under international law.
Ruby Fox, 21, Generation Justice member and marine science student in Tasmania, says:
"As a marine science student, I am furious. Our oceans are on the frontline of the climate crisis and as a beach-loving country we must do so much more to protect them from further warming.
"Right now, South Australia is grappling with a toxic algal bloom that’s decimating the ocean. The Albanese government's pathetic 2035 target guarantees we'll see more disasters like this.
"Without it, we doom our oceans to the kinds of coral bleaching and harmful algal blooms that we can’t come back from."
Connor Wright, 26, Generation Justice member and a proud Larrakia man from Garramilla/Darwin, says:
"This target is terrifying. Climate targets aren’t just numbers — they decide the future we inherit. Anything less than net zero by 2035 is adding fuel to the fire. My generation will be the ones left to burn.
"These actions are of a government that is not interested in protecting our human rights or Country in the face of the climate crisis."
Environmental Justice Australia senior lawyer Hannah White says:
"The International Court of Justice confirmed countries like Australia have binding legal obligations under the Paris Agreement to ensure their climate targets align limiting global warming to 1.5C."
"Announcing a weak target is not only dangerous – it is in direct violation of Australia’s obligations under international law. Australia owes it us all to comply with the law and set a target that prevents the worst of climate change."
To speak with these young people or expert climate lawyer Hannah White please call 03 83413110 (goes to mobile) or [email protected]
Falls short of science
Every fraction of a degree of global heating exposes Australian communities to more ferocious fires, floods and heatwaves. Global governments and scientists agree: holding warming well below 1.5°C is vital to prevent catastrophic harm.
Analysis by the Climate Council shows that net zero by 2035 is the only target that gives Australia a strong chance of meeting that goal. Anything less will fuel more disasters, more damage, and more danger.
Background on Generation Justice
Generation Justice
Generation Justice is a group of young people aged 14–28 from across Australia who have each lived through climate impacts like heatwaves, fires, floods and ecological destruction.
In April, they lodged a formal human rights complaint with the UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change, alleging that Australia is violating their rights to life, health, culture and to a healthy environment by failing to take ambitious and meaningful action on climate change.
Supported by their lawyers at Environmental Justice Australia, Generation Justice is calling on the federal government to take action in line with their international legal obligations to ensure that it takes climate action which protects them and all young people from worsening climate harm.
Spokesperson bios
Photographs available here
Connor Wright: “I’m Connor, my cultural name is Djindjbad. I’m a 27-year-old Larrakia man from Darwin, now studying climate change and policy in Melbourne. I grew up fishing, swimming and learning from my grandmother on Country – but climate change is destroying my culture – our seasons are shifting, our traditions are under threat. I’ve worked in the oil and gas industry and seen the destruction first-hand. I can’t stop thinking about climate change – I feel imprisoned by knowing the consequences of government inaction. Australia’s weak targets feel like a betrayal of young people and Indigenous communities, and that’s why I’m fighting for real action.”
Ruby Fox: “I’m 21 and grew up in Margaret River in WA on Wadandi Boodja Country, where extreme heat and bushfires shaped my childhood. Western Australia often records the hottest temperatures in the country, and every summer I’ve lived with the anxiety of fire risk. Now I’m finishing a Bachelor of Marine and Antarctic Science in Tasmania, majoring in marine biology and governance. I moved here for its wild landscapes and proximity to the Southern Ocean – but no matter where I am, the climate crisis looms large. That’s why this weak 2035 target is such a betrayal – it ignores both the science and the voices of young people living on the frontline of the climate crisis, like me.”
Media contact: To speak with these young people or expert climate lawyer Hannah White please call 03 83413110 (goes to mobile) or [email protected]
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