Climate change is a substantial and continuous change in the global average temperature, driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere. Learn More.

Climate justice is really about the way the climate crisis influences inequality. The need for action is now more urgent than ever as vulnerable communities all over the world continue to suffer from the consequences of climate change.

Climate change is making economic inequality worse. The effects of the climate crisis are disproportionally felt by those who’ve contributed the least to the climate crisis. This is true within and between countries and regions. 

It’s critical that we take the action necessary to restrict global temperature rise to within 1.5˚C, beyond this point many countries will face unmanageable suffering and devastation. We must take action at home and on the world stage to combat climate change including:
- Making a commitment to reduce Australia’s domestic emissions by 74% below 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2035;
- Developing a concrete plan to phase-out coal and gas from Australia’s energy supply.

We believe all lives are equal and no-one should live in poverty. The climate crisis is the single greatest threat in the fight against poverty, hunger and inequality.
Oxfam, globally and in Australia, was one of the first big development agencies to draw the links between climate change and the lives and prospects of communities worldwide, and in particular its impact upon people living in poverty.

We need to find a fair global solution to climate change. We are working with communities at the front lines of climate change to amplify their voices and to support them in being part of the solution to the climate crisis. Oxfam funds and supports programs that directly help communities to survive in the face of climate change.

Today there is extraordinarily robust evidence of global heating and its impact upon ecosystems and communities. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose reports represent the most complete and authoritative distillation of evidence from across relevant disciplines, can be found on their website. It is the United Nations body for assessing science on climate change and we reference their extensively researched reports to make decisions and create support programs at Oxfam. Visit the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) website.