Between September 2019 and March 2020, Australian bushfires burnt an estimated 17 million hectares, destroyed over 3,084 buildings and homes, and killed at least 33 people. To avoid catastrophic climate change and to reduce its impact in Australia, to protect Australians and our ecosystem, we must limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees centigrade above preindustrial levels. In fact, while digital technologies are responsible for 1.4% of the world’s emissions, they can help reduce global carbon emissions by 15% – that’s around a third of what’s needed to deliver on the Paris Agreement’s 2050 ambition.

Public sector organisations are uniquely placed to lead the development of new business models that are not only sustainable but can also reverse the adverse impact of the historic overconsumption of fossil fuels and other natural resources.

• New citizen experiences should be developed to transform urban transport with active travel solutions and resource optimised public transport. Such innovation can improve health and wellbeing outcomes and help build stronger communities.
• Public sector organisations should seek to use digital technologies to increase efficiency, lower costs, reduce emissions and streamline services across their value chains. The cost of carbon needs to be fully understood.
• Public sector organisations need to provide leadership for resource optimisation, both through compliance with regulatory interventions and by demonstrating best practices to support the circular economy.
• Investment in innovation must continue, incentivising new technologies and business models that will help accelerate the transition to a fossil-fuel-free economy, benefiting all of society