Angela Frimberger from Vets for Climate Action responds to State of the Environment Report 2021

Dr Angela Frimberger said she was not surprised by the State of the Environment Report 2021.

The comprehensive findings reflect what many Australian vets are experiencing with the effects of climate change.

"The more extreme weather events we are seeing is bringing more injured animals to veterinary clinics, both domestic and wild animals," Dr Frimberger said.

"All the other stresses that are being put on the environment, like clearing, overharvesting, invasive species, those all compound climate change."

The State of the Environment Report 2021 found in a rapidly changing climate, with unsustainable development and use of resources, the general outlook for our environment was deteriorating.

This is a result of increasing pressures from climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and resource extraction.

Immediate action with innovative management and collaboration can turn things around, the report found.

The comprehensive assessment of the state of the Australian environment, developed by 37 expert authors, analyses environmental pressures, state and trends, and management effectiveness. It does not address policy responses.

The report card reveals Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent, Australia contributes about 1.2 per cent of global emissions of greenhouse gases, and land and ocean temperatures are increasing.

Vets for Climate Action calls for strong and rapid greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Dr Frimberger says now is the time for action.

"We need to focus on moving forward and know there are solutions," she said.

"We need to bring about an end to new coal and gas projects and to increase investment in renewables and it has to come from all levels [of government]."

Dr Frimberger said strong coordinated policy and laws were needed.

Individuals could do their bit by using their choice, their vote and their voice, Dr Frimberger said.

She said it was really important for people to understand what they personally could do and it was also important people understood the response could not rest on individual choices.

"We need leadership from the top as well as progress from the grassroots," Dr Frimberger said.

She said at a local level, acknowledging the problem and the need for action at a local government level would be really valuable, but either way, climate change needed to be taken into consideration at every level of local government decision-making.

In February 2022, Port Macquarie-Hastings was the first local government area in the state to drop its climate emergency declaration.