We tend to think about adaptation and resilience in international and national terms. However in a significant way Australia’s performance is determined by State and Local Government performance or lack of it. In the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council’s (ASBEC) Framework document on adaptation a key role was proposed for non national governments and we have followed this up during discussions with State Ministers and officials.

This presentation will analyse the role of each state and territory in addressing both mitigation and adaptation. It will also examine best and worst practice examples from USA states and cities.

Although a number of governments have tried to discourage any consideration of climate change, state policies and practices govern land use and coastal planning, building codes, energy policy, insurance issues and approaches to extreme events. State Tribunals and senior officials have made a significant contribution to our understanding of climate change effects and their application in practice.

The presentation will detail state by state differences and examine opportunities for more active and effective approaches.