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. This is the first time the report has included Indigenous voices, highlighting the importance of cultural knowledge that has sustained Australia for tens of thousands of years. This report provides a synthesis and overall outlook for the Australian environment, including detailed content and assessments found in 12 thematic chapters on air quality, Antarctica, biodiversity, climate, coasts, extreme events, heritage, Indigenous, inland water, land, marine and urban. Each of these web‑based chapters contains detailed discussions of the condition of the Australian environment, taking into account the pressures on it and the effectiveness of management. These are brought together to present the overall outlook for the Australian environment and the potential impacts on Australians' wellbeing.