The climate crisis is here
In Australia, more than 10 million people live in areas with very high to hazardous risks of extreme heat. Between 2006 and 2017, heatwaves caused 36,000 deaths—an average of over 3,000 lives lost each year. But the impact isn’t evenly distributed. A staggering 38% of the population faces heightened risk due to socioeconomic vulnerability. Data from ClimaSens shows how extreme heat increasingly threatens the health and well-being of the most disadvantaged, who are the least equipped to respond.
For example, a recent SACOSS survey revealed that 60% of people struggle to pay their energy bills, and 80% say high indoor temperatures have made them unwell. Among Indigenous respondents, 72% said they had difficulty cooling their homes, a long-standing concern, especially in Australia’s hotter regions. The human toll also extends to the healthcare system, with 14% seeking medical attention for heat-related illnesses.
The economic toll is also alarming. KPMG projects that by 2030, extreme heat will cost Australia AU$19 billion annually in lost productivity. Globally, heat exposure cost the US economy US$100 billion in 2020 alone, a figure expected to quintuple by 2050. Rising food prices (up 20% since 2020), skyrocketing insurance premiums, and persistent energy costs deepen existing inequalities, hitting lower-income and regional communities the hardest. As the climate crisis accelerates, it’s clear that the people who have contributed the least to the problem are paying the highest price in terms of lives, livelihoods, and lost opportunities.
For more insight into this topic and how it impacts South Australians, check out the links to resources below.
Report: Climate Change Impacts in South Australia
This report explores the regional manifestations of climate change in South Australia,
evaluates the differential impacts on disadvantaged populations, and critically assesses current public policies.
The findings suggest that while long-term mitigation strategies are in place, immediate adaptive interventions are lacking, particularly for the most vulnerable.
The report concludes with recommendations for targeted and equitable climate action to enhance resilience across South Australia.
Find out more about our past work on climate justice in our resource library
Helpful Resources
Sweltering Cities is a national advocacy organisation working in the climate justice space, specifically the impact of extreme heat on the health and wellbeing of communities.
The Climate Council work to end climate pollution across Australia. To see how cutting climate pollution will limit extreme heat in our neighbourhoods, access the Heat Map. To explore the risk of bushfire, flooding, cyclones and other climate impacts in your neighbourhood, check out the Risk Map.
Visit the SA Health website for tips on staying healthy in the heat.
See some useful papers below on the intersection of climate change, housing, and policy, including the role of housing in climate change adaptation and mitigation:
Putting climate justice on the agenda
Don Dunstan was a champion for environmental issues and embraced forward-thinking initiatives that laid the groundwork for climate action today – including South Australia’s world-leading container deposit scheme, establishing the environment department, and measures to protect the Hills Face Zone and coastal areas. Check out this article for a broader overview of Don Dunstan, The Environmentalist.
In April, the Foundation hosted its first revamped Dunstan Dialogue on climate justice – people from across the community, including decision-makers, the social services sector, professional bodies, and people with lived experience talked openly about how we as a community can look after people already suffering from climate extremes.
The discussion was insightful and helpful in defining the key policy issues, and there was a view in the room for the opportunity ahead for COP31 – particularly if Adelaide hosts it – to elevate climate justice as a key policy concern in South Australia.
Addressing the impacts of climate change upon the health of our communities is vital – SA Health’s Climate Change Framework provides a pathway for SA Health to deliver an environmentally sustainable, low carbon, and climate-resilient public health system.
The National Climate Risk Assessment provides data and analyses of Australia’s climate risk across 8 key systems and 11 regions, helping governments, communities, industries and businesses to drive climate adaptation.
