As Australia gears up for the 2025 federal election, the environment will likely take a back seat to more pressing issues like cost of living, housing, and healthcare.
While these have dominated the political conversation in recent years, climate change and environmental protection were central to the 2022 federal election campaign, particularly for the Labor government.
So what has changed? Will the environment get a look in this election?
On Thursday morning’s episode of The Briefing, we spoke with Brendan Sydes, the ACF’s National Biodiversity Policy Adviser, to explore whether either party will prioritise environmental issues in this election.
Labor’s promises included tackling climate change, halting animal extinctions, and establishing a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Mr Sydes said polling consistently shows a strong public expectation that the national government will take responsibility for environmental protection and work towards improving environmental outcomes.
“We’ll be pushing very strongly to say, those promises were promises that were really important back prior to the last election,” Sydes said.
“They’re equally important, if not more important now, given the continued delays and the continued decline in biodiversity in this country,” he said.
As the cost of living crisis continues to weigh heavily on voters, it’s unclear whether the environment will be a majorfocus in the upcoming election.
The opposition Coalition, led by Peter Dutton, has yet to unveil a robust environmental policy, while Teal independents continue to champion climate action.
Sydes said that the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) is urging the government to deliver on its promises, including the establishment of the EPA, which has been delayed multiple times.
“So we’ll be pushing strongly for a continuation of those commitments and finishing off the unfinished business.”
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