Adelaide didn’t win its bid to host COP31. Disappointing? Of course. But it doesn’t mean we give up the focus on a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future.

South Australia is already living the reality of a rapidly changing climate. Our state is hotter, drier and more exposed than ever. The Goyder Line is sliding south. Farms are feeling it. Our coastlines are feeling it. Communities are feeling it. And Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment makes one thing brutally clear: climate risk isn’t emerging, it’s already here.

So, the question isn’t why didn’t we get COP?
It’s what are we going to do now?

Because the stakes haven’t changed. The opportunities haven’t changed. And the responsibility to mitigate and prepare our state for climate change certainly hasn’t changed. If anything, the urgency just got louder.

South Australia has a strong record of climate action. We have reduced emissions by 57% from 2005 levels, with a target of at least 60% by 2030 on the way to net zero by 2050. Our renewable energy mix has jumped from 30% to over 70% in little more than a decade, with a world-leading ambition to reach net 100% renewables by 2027.

With over 1,000 native plant species and an urban area where 11% is green space, we’re fortunate to live in a city where nature is a core part of urban life. In fact, Adelaide is ranked the second most climate-resilient city in the world, behind only Auckland, thanks to high biodiversity and decades of careful planning.

But this progress masks some gaps in our state’s climate action and preparedness. The Committee for Adelaide’s 2025 Benchmarking Adelaide Report reveals that Adelaide still emits more per person than almost all our peer cities. Our EV uptake is sluggish. Our buildings are far from green enough. And transport emissions remain effectively untouched.

Meanwhile, global warming is already at 1.2°C. At 1.5°C, we’re staring down 36% more time in drought and a surge in severe heatwaves. At 3°C, drought could increase by nearly 90% and marine heatwaves could stretch for half the year. Billions of lives are at risk globally. Entire economic systems are under strain. This is not abstract. It’s local. It’s personal.

Every year that we delay action brings steeper costs: rising insurance premiums, damaged infrastructure, mounting health risks and fragile ecosystems. These impacts compound, and they hit the most vulnerable first and hardest. There’s no shortcut. No quick fix. The longer we wait, the more we pay, economically, environmentally, and socially.

So yes, we missed COP. But we cannot miss the moment to keep the foot on the pedal when it comes to addressing and mitigating climate change.

South Australia should be doubling down, not slowing down. Some of the recommendations the Committee for Adelaide and its thought leaders have recently raised include:

• A state-wide climate risk framework, with a Chief State Climate Risk Officer driving action.
• A massive push on electrification, from EVs to bi-directional charging that strengthens the grid, reduces emissions and lowers bills.
• Rapid decarbonisation of transport, backed by infrastructure that makes EVs simple and accessible.
• Innovation in e-fuels, to cut emissions from the millions of combustion engines that won’t disappear overnight.
• A clean industrial revolution, from green iron to sustainable biomass and fully electrified public systems.
• Investment in climate mitigation and adaptation strategies for South Australia’s highest climate risks to reduce future recovery costs and disruption.
• Commit to increasing tree canopy, greening and biodiversity targets by 30% by 2030 and ensure open space is retained and protected while increasing housing density.

These aren’t pipe dreams, they’re environmental necessities and economic opportunities waiting to be seized. As experts like Ross Garnaut AC, Göran Roos and Dr Mark Lawrence have recently reminded us, South Australia can turn climate risk into competitive advantage. But it requires courage, coordination and political will that outlasts election cycles and COP bids.

That is why the Committee for Adelaide is driving action through SA ZERO. Launched in 2023, the landmark South Australian collaboration that brings together business, government and academia to help accelerate the state’s journey to zero-carbon and zero-waste.

SA ZERO partners include Adelaide University, BHP, City of Adelaide, Department of Environment & Water, Electranet, Flinders Port Holdings, Flinders University, RAA, SA Power Networks and Uniting Communities, each committed to increasing the pace and scale of decarbonisation and circularity across the state.

So, yes, hosting COP31 would have been a huge coup for our city and our state. But continuing to decarbonise, reduce waste and accelerating climate action and preparedness is far more important.

Sam Dighton
Chief Executive, Committee for Adelaide