‍An Open Letter to the Australian Parliament

We are the Australian Climate Technology Industry, representing companies, investors, researchers, and supporters. We write to every Member of Parliament to say this: 

This industry matters for economic growth, jobs, and sustainable prosperity.

This is a real industry

Australian climate tech is not a future promise. It is here now. More than 800 companies. More than 12,000 employees. $680 million in venture capital invested in 2025 alone. Over thirty companies on track to reach $1 billion valuations in the next two years. These are commercial businesses solving real problems for paying customers across the globe.

We build things here

64% of climate tech startups are manufacturing or planning to manufacture, nearly double the rate of the broader startup sector. 26% plan to manufacture entirely in Australia. These are advanced manufacturing jobs: solar cells in Sydney, thermal storage in Newcastle, enzyme recycling in Canberra, hydrogen electrolysers in Wollongong, and green iron in the Pilbara. This is factories, equipment, and skilled workers, often in regional Australia. These companies are investing now to create the jobs of the future, employing generations of Australians to come. 

We span the economy

Climate tech is not one sector. It spans energy, agriculture, transport, the built environment, disaster mitigation, resilience, resources, circular economy, and carbon markets. Our companies serve every major industry: 61% work in energy, 33% in manufacturing, 32% in agriculture, and 35% in utilities and infrastructure. When you support climate tech, you support every part of the Australian economy that needs to decarbonise.

We turn Australian research into Australian companies

Our universities and CSIRO produce world-leading climate research. Our industry can turn that research into products, exports, and jobs. Solar technology, electrolysers, recycling enzymes, and renewable energy bricks are just some examples. With a healthy climate tech industry, Australian research can get out of labs and into customers. 

Our potential is enormous

The world is quickly decarbonising and Australia has competitive advantages. By 2035, the Australian industry is aiming to be worth over $100B, have attracted more than $100B in capital and employ more than 100,000 Australians. We sit next door to Asia and have strong trade paths to Europe and North America. We have the technology, the talent, and the natural resources. Countries like the UK, China, Singapore, India, Germany, and South Korea are racing to capture it with aggressive industrial policy. Australia has the raw ingredients to lead if we act with conviction.

What we ask

When you consider changes to capital gains settings, investment incentives, R&D policy, or tax structures, understand that those changes affect this industry. Every founder who took the risk to start a climate tech company. Every investor who backed them. Every employee who chose a startup over a safe corporate job did so because they wanted to work on the climate problem.

We are building on the strong foundations of this industry and know we can contribute significantly to Australia’s future prosperity. It deserves careful stewardship and deliberate support.

We are ready to help

The signatories from the Australian Climate Technology Industry represent the breadth of this sector. Founders, investors, corporates, researchers, and ecosystem builders. We are available to brief any parliamentarian, any committee, any advisor who wants to understand the strength and potential of this industry. We want to help you understand the opportunity we do. 

Signed by companies and leaders of the Australian Climate Technology Industry.

May 2026