More Australians mentioned climate change as their number one issue than any other topic, according to Vote Compass data.
With the federal election campaign underway, many are seeking answers on what policies each party has for one of the most pressing issues of our time.
And with the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report revealing the likelihood of temperatures rising 1.5 degrees Celsius, it's not difficult to see why.
Here, we break down the policies of the major parties: the Coalition, Labor and Greens.
An important note: Action to prevent climate change isn't restricted to one policy and usually crosses multiple departments, but one of the key platforms is each party's commitment to net zero and its plans for reaching that.
The Coalition's policy
The Coalition has committed to net zero emissions by 2050. This means that by 2050, the amount of carbon dioxide Australia is removing from the atmosphere will have to be the same as, or more than, the amount it is emitting.
It all comes down to balancing the scales between the amount of carbon dioxide put into the environment, and the amount taken out.
How does it plan to do this? Prime Minister Scott Morrison has taken a "technology over taxes" approach, saying Australia will get to net zero by investing more than $20 billion in "low emissions technologies" in the next decade.
This includes:
- Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
- Low-emission steel production
- Using hydrogen as a fuel
The Coalition also plans to invest in electronic vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and has incentives for business fleets to switch to EVs.
However, it has not committed to changing its 2030 target of a 26-28 per cent cut in emissions.
The reason? The government says Australia is on track to cut emissions by 30 to 35 per cent by then.
Labor's policy
Labor has also committed to net zero emissions by 2050, along with a 2030 target of a 43 per cent cut in emissions.
To reach net zero, the party plans to:
- Upgrade the electricity grid to allow it to handle more renewable energy
- Make electric vehicles cheaper
- Install community batteries and solar banks around the country
- Modernise steel and aluminium production
Leader Anthony Albanese has insisted Labor's plan would create more than 600,000 new jobs, cut power prices by $275 a year per household by 2025, and boost private investment.
In releasing Labor's Powering Australia plan, Mr Albanese said its investments would cost $683 million.
The Greens' policy
Unlike Labor and the Coalition, the Greens want a 75 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 and want to hit net zero by 2035.
Greens leader Adam Bandt and his party want to phase out coal and gas completely and switch to 100 per cent renewable energy usage as soon as possible.
How do they plan to do this? The Greens want to:
- Develop more batteries
- Upgrade the electricity grid
- Reduce the cost of electric vehicles
The party says it would fund its climate change measures by taxing big corporations.
Under that proposal, a company with a turnover of more than $100 million would face a 40 per cent super-profits tax
Earlier this year, the Greens also proposed a $40 billion renationalisation of Australia's electricity sector, which would see all coal and gas-fired power plants phased out by 2030.
