The ACT government’s draft climate strategy has been slammed as “hollow words”, with conservationists accusing Labor of falling behind while climate impacts worsen.

The Conservation Council ACT Region says the government’s discussion paper on a new climate strategy contains no real action, no measurable targets and no ambition to tackle the climate crisis.

Executive director Simon Copland said the document arrived during a heatwave driven by global heating, yet failed to offer any new solutions.

“We are in the middle of a heatwave being fuelled by global heating,” Mr Copland said.

“At a time when climate impacts are intensifying, and the community expects real leadership, this discussion paper offers no new goals and no credible plan to get us there.”

Mr Copland said the paper read like a rushed stopgap rather than a serious policy blueprint.

“It reads like a hastily put-together placeholder — not a framework for action,” he said.

The Conservation Council warned the ACT was now trailing other states, pointing to missed targets and stronger action elsewhere.

“Last year the Minister for Environment and Climate Suzanne Orr announced the Territory had missed our 2025 interim target and is not on track to achieve our goal of net zero,” Mr Copland said.

“Meanwhile, states such as Victoria are introducing new policies to reduce emissions that are well advanced of our own. This document offers nothing to catch us up.”

Mr Copland said the discussion paper was not worth the effort spent producing it or consulting on it.

“This discussion paper is not worth the time and energy it has taken the public service to write it, let alone the hours community groups have put into consultation,” he said.

“We are beyond ‘discussion’ — we need bold policy, firm timelines, and real leadership.”

The Conservation Council is urging the ACT government to overhaul the strategy, including bringing forward Canberra’s net zero target to 2040, accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels, boosting public and active transport investment, and preparing the city for extreme weather.

“The government needs to step up its ambition,” Mr Copland said.

“The community wants action that protects our environment, our health and our future — not hollow words.”