Unlocking Australia’s Clean Energy Future: The National Action Plan

Australia has a unique opportunity to become a global leader in clean energy and exports, creating jobs, industries, and cutting emissions. The good news is, this transformation is already underway. However, to realise our full potential, we must get the right projects in the right places at the right time.

At Beyond Zero Emissions, we are leading the charge with the National Action Plan, a bold initiative aimed at addressing the challenges of coordination across sectors and accelerating Australia’s clean energy transition. The National Action Plan will provide a place-based, multi-sector approach to ensure successful project delivery, targeting the industries that will power Australia's clean energy future.

Why now?

The global economy is shifting rapidly towards clean energy, and the window for action is closing fast. With federal and state policies supporting renewable energy and clean exports, now is the time for coordinated action to secure Australia’s place as a clean energy powerhouse.

A collaborative approach

Beyond Zero Emissions is working with experts, research partners, and industry leaders to ensure the National Action Plan is a success. Together, we can create the jobs and industries of tomorrow and help build a clean, sustainable future for Australia. Sign up below to join us.

Regional Insights

Australians voted for a clean energy future and now it’s time for more decisive action on the ground in regions powering our future. Powering Up The Hunter is Beyond Zero Emissions’ first regional readiness assessment under our bold new National Action Plan. 

Powering Up The Hunter assesses the region’s readiness and progress towards becoming a major green industrial exporter – benchmarked against 19 evidence-based indicators across energy system readiness, industrial decarbonisation plans and policy and coordination planning.

Learn more

National Action Plan: Regional Assessment Process (Version 1)

This draft represents the Version 1 of the National Action Plan: Regional Assessment Process, developed to evaluate the readiness of Australian regions for clean industry development. The assessment is structured around five key themes and 55 indicators to help guide regions in their transition to a clean, zero-emissions economy.

This is an initial version of the framework. It’s intended to be a collaborative, evolving process—designed to be refined and improved with input from industry experts, researchers, local communities, and other stakeholders. We encourage all participants to review the assessment criteria, provide feedback, and contribute to making this tool as effective and relevant as possible.

As we progress, further editions will incorporate the insights gained from ongoing assessments and structured feedback. The goal is to create a robust, flexible system that can be adapted to the needs of different regions, ensuring that Australia is well-positioned to lead in clean energy and industry transformation.

Lastest edition

Get involved

Are you an industry expert, researcher, or community leader? Your expertise can help shape Australia’s energy future. We're seeking skilled volunteers to support evidence-based evaluations of new and developing projects.Not sure where you fit in? Reach out and we’ll connect you to the right part of the project.

Volunteer

Frequently asked questions

What is the National
Action Plan?

It’s a place-based, multi-sector framework developed to coordinate clean industry and energy development across Australia, ensuring infrastructure, policy, and workforce planning are aligned.

Who is this for?

Regional and local governments, industry bodies, planners, community groups, and policymakers working on clean energy and industrial transformation.

Why is this necessary?

Without coordination, Australia risks fragmented investment, project delays, and missed opportunities in the clean economy. This Plan helps regions act decisively and strategically.

How does it relate to federal or state plans?

It complements them by focusing on delivery-readiness at the regional level and identifying critical bottlenecks and enablers across sectors.

What is the Regional Assessment Process?

A structured tool that uses 55 evidence-based indicators (currently 19 complete) to assess whether a region is ready to support clean industry projects.

What are the Critical Success Criteria?

These are the core conditions for successful clean industry projects, grouped into five themes: Enabling Infrastructure, Industry Capability and Capacity, Policy & Governance, Social Acceptance, and Financing the Transition.

Can anyone apply the assessment?

Yes, especially if you're working in policy, planning, industry or research. The process is designed to be practical, adaptable and shareable.

Is the Regional Assessment Process final?

No, this is a work in progress. The latest version is Version 1 (May 2025). It covers 19 indicators. The rest are being co-developed with partners.

How can we get involved?

We are actively seeking partners to co-develop the remaining indicators, apply the framework in their region, and provide feedback.

Can this be adapted to local priorities or planning systems?

Yes. The framework is designed to be place-based and adaptable, especially for regions with different challenges or ambitions.

Will Beyond Zero Emissions offer support to apply the assessment?

Yes, we’re developing guidance tools, case studies, and offering webinars to support stakeholders in applying the process.

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