National Climate Change Adaptation Governance Symposium: Framing a forward agenda for research to policy and practice

Date and location: 10-11 December 2025, University of Canberra (Centre for Environmental Governance) and ANU (Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions and Institute for Water Futures).

The National Climate Change Adaptation Governance Symposium brought together more than 60 researchers, practitioners, Indigenous leaders, policymakers, professional associations and industry stakeholders to address the urgent need for governance reform to enable effective, just, and forward‑looking climate adaptation in Australia. Across two days, participants emphasised that Australia’s current governance arrangements, critical for enabling robust adaptation, are not fit for purpose in the face of escalating climate risks and tightening timeframes for cost-effective action.

Symposium objectives

1. To explore adaptation as dynamic and anticipatory governance

2. To inform climate-resilience transitions that mitigate risks

3. To identify practical approaches to progress national adaptation implementation pathways

4. To develop a R&D agenda for adaptation governance

Why now?

The National Climate Risk Assessment identifies diverse climate risks that will substantially increase in coming decades. It makes a strong call for adaptation action - but what national responses are needed? The changing nature of climate risks and sector vulnerability mean that adaptation must be dynamic, anticipatory and responsive to context.

We now need to actively explore the governance dimensions of adaptation; understand barriers and constraints; find ways to tackle the implementation deficit; and define approaches that can incentivise effective action in Australia. Central to this exploration is a focus on governance as purposeful and anticipatory, and tailored to enable the long-term resilience transitions needed. This is now urgent – the greater the delay, the greater the impacts and cost.

Outputs and next steps

The report from the Symposium will be made accessible through Research Gate, and a link will be provided here when it is published.

Key next steps from this Symposium are:

• Collaboration to develop an adaptation governance research prospectus that frames a forward agenda for research to policy and practice. The goal is to build an enduring national institutional capacity that can tackle critical challenges that span knowledge and practice. Addressing many of the issues and challenges described in this report will require new knowledge, enhanced ways to translate and communicate it, and a body of compelling and tailored evidence to underpin reform in decision-making.

• Steps to establish an Australian Society for Adaptation Professionals that can foster capacity building, knowledge-sharing and profile-building for adaptation.

Further information

Contact Dr Jo Mummery by email at Jo.Mummery@Canberra.edu.au