Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has addressed National Press Club following a five-yearly report into Australia's climate, which she has described as "shocking."
Look back on our blog as the day's events unfolded.
Key events
- Opposition: Sussan Ley complied with requirements to release documents
- Analysis: Murray-Darling will be one of the Albanese government's biggest challenges
- Plibersek calls Juukan Gorge destruction 'one of the most shameful happenings in Australian history'
- Should Labor reassess their 2030 target now in light of the report?
- Federal government to adopt 3030 by 2030 target
- Federal government to respond to Samuel review by year's end
- 'Australians deserve the truth': Environment Minister says following release of 'shocking' climate report
- Here's what the experts are saying about the report
- What makes this latest report different from previous ones?
- When will Tanya Plibersek make her address?
Live updates
By Shiloh Payne
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By Shiloh Payne
Hollie Hughes says the government seems 'intent on turning the lights out'
Opposition Shadow assistant Climate Minister Hollie Hughes says she is concerned that Tanya Plibersek "doesn't really understand the first thing about agruculture in our country, let alone support mining".
"Listening to some of the commentary around today, I am very concerned for what sort of legislation [the Labor government] are going to want to introduce that could impact farming land will stop but also impact our ability to continue to mind, to also look for these coal and gas reserves because the whole world is looking for those of the moment." Senator Hughes says.
"But this Labor government seems intent on turning the lights out, shutting down at industry, for an issue that is a global public."
"Climate change is not Australia's problem, it is not a regional problem. Our emissions are 1.3%."
"We can shut everything down and we will make zero difference but we don't see any moves by this Labor government but to call out China for its omissions that are increasing."
By Shiloh Payne
Greens leader says Australia has to act urgently
By Shiloh Payne
Opposition: Sussan Ley complied with requirements to release documents
Shadow home affairs minister Karen Andrews says the former environment minister complied with the requirements for releasing the report.
"The advice that came through from Sussan Ley, former environment minister, is that at all times she complied with the requirements for releasing documents," Ms Andrews says.
"I think it is fair to say that all Australians are focused on the environment, we want to do the best thing for environment."
" One of the key tenets of the Liberal Party is to protect the natural environment for future generations.
"So, we all want to work very proactively towards supporting the environment.
"We just need to make sure that what we are doing is reasonable, and that it does set up future generations properly here in Australia."
By Shiloh Payne
Senator: Report reveals 'code red for nature'
Greens Environment Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young is on News Channel, she says this report "signals a code red for nature".
"We know that our environment laws have not been good enough to protect the environment, but we also know that successive governments haven't done their job in standing up for the environment," Senator Hanson-Young says.
She says all of this is now being fuelled by the climate crisis.
"There's lots of opportunity for us to work as fast as possible in parliament to fix the environment laws."
"We need to see a climate trigger in the laws so that when big projects, mines or developments are assessed and given environmental approval, they're assessed for their climate impact as well. We know climate change is a big threat."
By Shiloh Payne
Voices from the Murray-Darling Basin come together to call for action
The Murray-Darling Basin has been shaping the lives of humans in Australia for as many as 40,000 years.
It provided a place to live, a source of food and water and has acted as a meeting place for many First Nations groups who found their place along the river.
Now, the basin is lined by growing towns, thousands of irrigators and locks and dams aimed at making sure the river can best serve human populations.
One thing remains constant though — Australia relies on the Murray-Darling Basin to survive.
Erawirung woman Lucille Sumner works as a ranger along the Murray River in South Australia's Riverland, helping to rehabilitate the environment after years of drought and water manipulation.
She said Australia needed to put the health of the river, its environment, animals and people before profit.
"The trees don't ask for money, they can't live on money, the birds can't live on money, only people live on money," she said.
"We've all got to survive on this river, and we all don't want to be living in the semi-desert.
"We've already done too much damage as it is in my eyes.
"If we start doing something really deadly and working together, without having to put a dollar sign to everything, we might make something of this place."
You can continue reading this story from ABC Riverland's Sam Bradbook below.
By Shiloh Payne
Here are some of your thoughts:
After watching Ms Plibersek today on the ABC I became very annoyed. Queensland and Victoria both have Labor Governments in power and yet the clearing on thousand of hectares of native vegetation is still continuing. Until we have Governments who value our vegetation and trees nothing is going to change. Look at the hundreds of Koalas killed in Victoria when the contractors began clearing a de-funct plantation of gum trees. Who was responsible for this? why wasn't the slaughter of these endangered species acted upon? Has there been any outcome? Please lets shine a light on these issues, they are very important as they impact on us all, we have to stop clearing the trees.
- Del
By Shiloh Payne
Highlights from Environment Minister's government action plan
ABC political reporter Melissa Clarke walks us through a recap of the report:
By Jessica Riga
Analysis: Murray-Darling will be one of the Albanese government's biggest challenges
Political reporter Melissa Clarke has just spoken to News Channel and says the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing the Albanese government.
Here's a bit of what she had to say:
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan has been failing, there hasn't been a return of the water as needed in order to meet the deadlines that have been set and legislated to improve the health of the Murray-Darling Basin.
We've had only two gigalitres of the 450 that were supposed to be returned to the environment, with that deadline looming in two years.
It's very hard to see how the Murray-Darling Basin Plan can be brought back on track when at the moment there does not seem to be compatible views across the federal and various state governments about how that water can be returned to the environment.
Tanya Plibersek had a surprisingly frank and pessimistic answer, she really struggled to see how the Murray-Darling could be filled in the current circumstances.
We know how difficult that was to negotiate in the first place, we are going to need negotiations of that scale once again if we're to get the plan back on track.
By Jessica Riga
Which species are most in danger of extinction?
Professor Brendan Wintle has warned there will be a spike in extinctions among species unless there is "dramatic action" amid the concerning environment report.
By Jessica Riga
'The targets are not nearly enough': More thoughts from you
Lots of promises and its good to see this finally get some importance. The targets are not nearly good enough and more is needed. Shame that there was no real substance on how we get to these targets and how we deal with it quickly. Why can't we stop new coal mines? What about dealing with Woodside and its ridiculous Scarborough project that will ruin things for generations?
- Mike
By Shiloh Payne
Here's a breakdown of the report's key findings
A breakdown of the environment report's key findings show five areas are rated as poor, while four are considered n good condition but are deteriorating.
By Jessica Riga
Missed Tanya Plibersek's State of the Environment address?
You can watch it back here on the ABC News YouTube channel.
By Jessica Riga
Others are saying the 2030 target doesn't go far enough
30% of the land environment and 30% of the water environment is not enough. We have to protect all of it, otherwise in "decades" to come there won't be any left!
- Helen
By Jessica Riga
Some of you are hoping parliament 'will come together and agree'
A wonderful address by Minister Plibersek. She has the most important portfolio of the Government and she is right person for the job. I hope that Parliament will come together and agree to put in place all the legislation to ensure our children, grandchildren and future generations have a clean and healthy environment.
- Janice Krieger
By Jessica Riga
Some of you are 'full of hope'
Thanks to the Minister for taking this report seriously, and committing to reform and change. For the first time in my life (I'm 27), I am feeling positive about the future of the environment in Aus.
- Full of hope
By Jessica Riga
That's it for Tanya Plibersek's State of the Environment address
Let us know your thoughts by submitting your comments using the big blue button.
By Jessica Riga
How does the Environment Minister embrace the voices of those that don't trust the government yet?
To give some context to this question, there were protesters outside the National Press Club ahead of Tanya Plibersek's address.
"I really respect and admire people who protest on environmental issues, as long as they do it within the law.
"I think it is a really good thing to show political leaders across the board that Australians care about the environment," the Environment Minister says.
By Shiloh Payne
Is a fast way to cut down carbon emissions to say no more coal mines?
According to Tanya Plibersek, no.
She says the federal government is "not going to start breaking promises.
"We made a promise on a zero net emissions with an interim target of 43% carbon pollution reduction," Ms Plibersek says.
"We will keep that promise."
"Mining will continue to be an important part of Australia's prosperity."
Ms Plibersek says instead she will focus on bringing down domestic emmissions.
By Jessica Riga
With talk of $1 trillion in debt, how realistically can Australia run significant environmental reform?
And how high is it on the list of priorities when there are so many challenges facing Australians right now?
"I think it's very high on the list of most Australians," Ms Plibersek says.
"We have already made substantial investment announcements, including as I mentioned $1.2 billion over coming years to restore and repair the Great Barrier Reef, money for threatened species, money for recycling, Indigenous protected areas, Indigenous ranges.
"There is a list of commitments we have made that we will fund. We made those promises before the last election and we will fund those promises and they will deliver good results for the environment."
