When the National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) was released in early September, it underscored what many of us in the profession already knew: Australia faces profound climate risks across every sector. For engineers, these risks are not abstract, they are practical, tangible and immediate.
From water scarcity to extreme heat, from coastal erosion to supply chain fragility, the challenges outlined in the NCRA and the National Adaptation Plan demand engineers act with foresight, collaboration and leadership.
While the Australian Government’s recently announced 2035 emissions targets represent progress, in my view, they could be more ambitious. Meeting them will still require enormous commitment, collaboration and innovation, and engineers must be at the forefront of that effort.
Australia has a unique opportunity to play an outsized role in global decarbonisation. While our domestic emissions are only around 1 per cent of the global total, our fossil fuel exports contribute to around 4.5 per cent of global emissions once burned overseas.
Transitioning to become a major exporter of renewable energy and clean technologies could flip that balance and make Australia a net positive force in the climate fight.
Here are five key findings from the NCRA and what they mean for engineers.
1. Start with infrastructure and resilience
The NCRA identified 11 priority risks across seven interconnected systems, including the economy, health, natural environments and critical infrastructure. Engineers face a huge challenge in determining where to begin.
In response to increasing climate risks, the historical approach of simply funding and delivering disaster response programs without improving resilience is unsustainable. Instead, we must identify adaptive pathways that enable systems to become more adaptable and resilient over time.
My view is that we should work towards a triage system and start where the impacts are most immediate, including:
- Mitigation. Reduce emissions at the source, particularly through energy transition away from fossil fuels.
- Adaptation. Adjust systems and design responses to incorporate mechanisms for review and changing impacts. This is particularly relevant for critical infrastructure, coastal communities and supply chains.
- Building resilience. Strengthen communities and infrastructure to minimise recovery times from natural disasters, especially for emergency response systems and water security.
2. Integrate adaptation and resilience
Engineers Australia’s Climate Change Position Statement makes clear we need more than just mitigation; we need adaptive responses that build resilience over time.
For engineers, this means designing solutions that harden assets against hazards while reducing emissions. The new Net Zero Plan released by DCCEEW offers practical roadmaps across sectors including energy, industry, transport, agriculture and the built environment. These plans stress the need to challenge business as usual in supply chains and procurement
Is achieving both resilience and decarbonisation at once realistic? It’s difficult, but achievable provided we develop innovative finance models that provide sustainable funding and genuine collaborations between engineers, governments, planners and industry. Engineers must resist the temptation to fall back on traditional methods because they are cheap or familiar. Instead, we must embrace new approaches that cut emissions and withstand climate shocks at the same time.
3. Embrace hard truths of water challenges
The NCRA predicts that sea-level rise could place 1.5 million additional Australians in coastal risk zones by mid-century, while water security has been identified as a cross-system risk. The engineering response requires both physical interventions and smarter planning.
We must re-think the practice of building homes, businesses and infrastructure in flood-prone areas. Local councils often face intense pressure from developers, but safety must come first.
Engineering responses might include building higher homes, protective sea walls or even desalination plants in drier regions, but we must also acknowledge the difficult truth that in some cases, managed retreat may be the only viable option.
This is not simply about designing stronger foundations or barriers. It’s about communicating risks to households, reshaping planning regimes, and making decisions that prioritise human safety over short-term gain. Everybody, from a homeowner to the Federal Government, should be using this information to plan for the future.
4. Build the workforce and show leadership
Delivering on net zero requires more than technical solutions; it requires people. Engineers Australia has long advocated for a National Chief Engineer role and greater engineering leadership in government. We are developing new professional guides on circular economy and carbon measurement, and have commissioned research on how engineers can transition from thermal to clean energy roles.
Leadership also means visibility. Engineers must step into senior decision-making roles, not only to provide technical solutions but to shape the policies and frameworks that guide Australia’s climate response.
Globally, stronger 2030 targets alongside 1.5°C-aligned 2035 targets are essential to limit overshoot and reduce irreversible impacts.
Engineers can help Australia demonstrate leadership by ensuring our infrastructure and industries align with these science-based pathways.
5. Think in systems, not silos
The NCRA highlights that climate risks are cascading, concurrent and compounding. A drought disrupts agriculture, which in turn affects trade, health and social support systems. Engineers must therefore take a systems approach, rather than working in silos.
Some examples include:
- Embedding consistent carbon accounting across sectors, focusing on materials, processes and Scope 3 emissions across supply chains
- Designing solutions that integrate nature-based and technological innovations, such as regenerative design, urban shading and super-cool materials for extreme heat resilience
- Incorporating the principles of circular economy in project delivery processes, especially at the planning and design phases
Collaborating across professions, including planners, architects, scientists and communities, to deliver outcomes that are adaptive, collaborative and innovative are key next steps.
Australia’s outsized influence
It’s tempting to think Australia’s 1 per cent share of global emissions absolves us of major responsibility. But our fossil fuel exports mean we effectively shape 4.5 per cent of global emissions. That is not a marginal role, that is a leadership role waiting to be embraced.
By transforming our economy into one that exports green energy instead of coal, by embedding resilience into every project, and by strengthening the engineering workforce, we can not only safeguard Australia but also influence global outcomes.
The NCRA is not just another government report. It’s a blueprint for adaptive action, and engineers are at the centre of delivering it. The task ahead is monumental, but so too is the opportunity for our profession to lead.
Simon Koger is an environmental engineer and Climate Change Manager at Engineers Australia. He leads the Climate Smart Engineering initiative (CSEi) which serves as a central vehicle for climate action within the engineering profession.
