2025 Australian Federal Election demonstrated a strong mandate for Clean energy and offshore wind. Voters rejected nuclear, backed climate action, empowered the ALP and Greens to accelerate the clean energy transition.
Australia (WindNewsToday) — The Australian 2025 federal election sent a strong message: a majority of Australians support a rapid transition to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind. The re-election of the Labor Party (ALP) was largely driven by national support for climate action and clean energy progress.
In contrast, the Coalition has been heavily campaigning against Labor’s energy platform, which promises to scrap four of the six offshore wind zones already declared. Despite targeting key seats in New South Wales and launching community campaigns to galvanise opposition, the strategy has not resonated. In fact, the ALP’s two-party preference vote has increased in many of the seats where offshore wind has been hotly contested. The Australian federal election is a stark example of how climate change could change the landscape of voting.
Offshore wind and renewables: the irresistible plan
Labor’s first term success has already put Australia on a path to a clean energy future, with 40% of the national electricity grid now powered by renewables and storage. Interestingly, when Australians return to the polls, the grid will be powered by more than two-thirds of renewables – marking an irreversible shift towards cleaner energy.
Labor’s energy transition plan, offshore wind, is now enjoying stronger political support than ever before. Environmentalists and industry stakeholders are urging the government to capitalize on its renewed mandate by fast-tracking offshore wind development and maintaining the pace of regulatory and infrastructure support.
Today The PRIME MINISTER, ANTHONY ALBANESE talked to the SKY NEWS for first after the winning and started his conversation about his party as a party of opportunity. He sees the challenge of seizing the economic transformation opportunities that come from the National Climate Agreement, which he says is part of the deal. He says it is a project that we have not backed down from, it is a project that we have relied on. So, the project in Newcastle, Tomago, the Hunter’s largest employer, the Rio Tinto aluminium smelter, and so their conversion to clean energy, which will be so important with the strong capacity there
And he calls on the community that the campaign pushed the offshore wind project further offshore to come along and see a good environmental outcome from offshore wind power.
Nuclear rejects, climate voters rise
This election in Australia is a vote for green, clean and renewable energy as the Coalition’s support for nuclear power has failed to gain traction. Instead, it has proven politically toxic – particularly among women and undecided voters. Meanwhile, despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures, climate concern remains a top-level issue for much of the population.
And young voters, whom we refer to as Generation Z (Gen Z) have played a key role. Three-quarters of Millennials and Z voters ranked climate change among their top voting issues. This climate-conscious voting bloc has become the largest demographic group in Australian politics and is shaping the country’s political landscape with increasing influence. Climate-friendly independent candidates performed incredibly in the election, where they increased their primary vote by 3.8% in contested seats, continuing the trend from the 2022 election. Incumbent independents retained their inner-city strongholds, suggesting a long-term shift in voter behavior. Meanwhile, the Australian Greens are expected to hold onto the balance of power in the Senate – a strategic advantage that could enable the ALP to pass strong climate legislation in its second term.
Climate action is a mandate
The ALP now has a 17-point lead over the Coalition as the party is most trusted to “tack on climate change”. For Labor voters, climate change was one of the top two election issues, further reinforcing that environmental leadership is not just a marginal concern – it is a central mandate.
The re-elected Labor government is under increasing pressure to accelerate the development of Australia’s offshore wind industry, following the 2025 election result, which saw public support for the country’s massive renewable energy transition. The message from voters was clear. Sophie Walter, a spokeswoman for the pro-renewable energy community group Good for the Gong, said Australians had shown strong support for offshore wind.
“Now that the election is over, we will be pushing the government to move quickly,” she said, “but also to ensure that these projects are developed in a way that is sustainable.”
The election is over, we will be pushing the government to move
Ty Christopher, director of the Energy Futures Network at the University of Wollongong, welcomed the continuity brought by the Labor Party’s re-election, saying it provided much-needed certainty for renewable energy investors. While he acknowledged that there were legitimate concerns about the technology and environmental impact of offshore wind, he stressed that investor confidence depended on policy stability.
All investors want certainty,”
Christopher said, comparing the situation in the US under the Trump administration to what he described as a period of instability and uncertainty in the renewables sector.
“We have to acknowledge that the elephant in the room here is that Trump’s behaviour in the US has created so much instability and uncertainty that it has scared a lot of global capital away from the US,” he said.
Christopher noted that this shift in investor sentiment could present a major opportunity for Australia. “What a great thing for Australia, for that global capital to find a home here and help us decarbonize our lives, decarbonize our industry and become a global powerhouse in renewable energy.”
Ultimately, the 2025 federal election was not just a policy contest – it was a national referendum on climate action. Australians voted decisively for a future driven by clean energy, offshore wind and environmental leadership. With the political winds at their back, the ALP and its climate allies now have both the opportunity and the responsibility to accelerate Australia’s clean energy transition.
