FORGING A GREENER FUTURE THAT BENEFITS PEOPLE AND NATURE

Over the past year, WWF-Australia has played a leading role in shaping the nation’s clean energy transition, from fossil fuels to renewable exports, through bold advocacy and strategic partnerships.

A major breakthrough came in November with the announcement of the historic Future Made in Australia Act, secured through joint advocacy by WWF-Australia, industry, unions, the social sector, and other environmental and climate organisations. This landmark policy includes:

• A $22 billion investment to position Australia as a global leader in clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
• A Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive to accelerate green hydrogen development.
• A $1.7 billion Innovation Fund to support green metals and clean tech manufacturing.\
• Community Benefit Principles to ensure local communities share in the transition’s rewards.

Over the past 12 months, WWF-Australia continued to champion a 100% renewable energy future that protects biodiversity, launching two impactful reports that significantly advanced its advocacy for nature-positive renewables. These reports helped reinforce WWF’s call for urgent reform of national and state environmental laws to ensure every renewable project delivers net gains for nature.

In March, WWF-Australia partnered with Deloitte to release the Green Steel Forging Futures report, which outlined a roadmap for decarbonising the steel sector while safeguarding nature. The reports identified green iron production using renewable hydrogen as Australia’s most economically competitive pathway to support global steel decarbonisation. This approach positions Australia as a key player in the Asia-Pacific supply chain, particularly with major producers like Japan and Korea.

In April, WWF-Australia and the Australian Conservation Foundation launched the joint report Our Renewable Future – A Plan for People and Nature, uniting conservationists, climate advocates and community leaders behind a shared vision. The report called for renewable projects to avoid high conservation value areas, prioritise degraded land and embed biodiversity gains into every development.

The report had immediate impact, strengthening WWF’s advocacy for nature-positive renewables, shaping public discourse around misinformation and nuclear distraction, and influencing policy conversations ahead of the federal election.