Committee: Environment and Communications References Committee
Date referred: 26 August 2025
Submissions close: 10 September 2025
Reporting date: 20 November 2025

Terms of Reference

The Senate referred the following matters to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 20 November 2025:

1. the Government’s secrecy and withholding of the Climate Risk Assessment (the assessment) from the Australian public since December 2024;
2. the research, consultation and preparation of the assessment by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water;
3. the expected ongoing impacts upon the Australian community that are contained within the assessment;
4. the budgetary costs of both climate driven natural disasters and any government adaptation plans;
5. the Government’s ongoing approach to transparency related to reducing emissions and adaptation to a world currently on track for 2.6 to 3.1 degrees of warming; and
6. any other related matters.