This report provides a summary of selected significant extreme weather and climate events which occurred across Australia in 2023. The report provides a description of each event and an explanation which reflects our understanding of the causes. The report also provides an overview of selected international events including Antarctica.

Extreme weather events are worsening across Australia. Since the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20, there have been 11 declared insurance catastrophes. Since January 2020 insurers have received almost 788,000 claims related to floods and storms that have been declared catastrophes or significant events.

Australia’s fair share of action to give the world a chance of keeping global heating to 1.5C would mean reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2038 – more than a decade ahead of the government’s schedule, according to new scientific analysis.

This report outlines a decarbonisation pathway that shows it is possible for five of Australia's most significant heavy industry supply chains to transition to net zero, consistent with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5ºC.

The steady increase in corporate and national net zero targets in recent years raises critically important questions as to what role, if any, offsets should play in achieving them, and indeed 2030 targets, and to what extent they are legitimate substitutes for direct emission reductions at source.

The State of the Climate 2022 report, released by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology, has found changes to weather and climate extremes are happening at an increased pace across Australia. The report, released every two years, shows an increase in extreme heat events, intense heavy rainfall, longer fire seasons and sea level rise.

In this report, the authors conclude that if the rising costs of extreme weather are to be mitigated, the government of Australia should focus more on resilience and future-proofing.

Australia state of the environment 2021 is written by a panel of independent authors, using the best available evidence, assured through consultation, peer‑review and fact‑checking processes, and building on 25 years of experience in national environmental reporting.

The Australian Government claims that Australia is leading the world in achieving climate targets and transitioning to renewable energy. New analysis finds Australia’s energy emissions continue to rise, while productivity and decarbonisation rankings fall.

This report uses four case studies from across the globe to draw lessons on how cities and regions can equitably manage the decline of major industrial and mining activities and minimize disruption to local economies.