AusAID

Contact: Claire Ireland, Environment Adviser
Tel: 61 2 6206 4174
Email:Claire.Ireland@ausaid.gov.au
Website: www.ausaid.gov.au

Australia is committed to a growing programme of development assistance to help attain the MDGs. The seventh MDG (ensuring environmentally sustainable development) in many ways underpins all of the MDGs. Achieving environmental sustainability is also a key theme of the Australian aid programme. The government’s draft environment and climate change strategy for international development assistance, acknowledges the important point that if we can accelerate progress toward this goal, the gains made in achieving other development goals will be more enduring.

The strategy recognises that Australia’s development assistance programme can be greater if Australia works in partnership at scales that can make a difference. This strategy envisages a comprehensive, integrated approach to delivering good environmental outcomes.  AusAID will raise the profile of climate change and the environment and ensure that people working in the programme have access to the skills and resources needed to fully analyse and account for the issues, to respond to opportunities and risks, and to develop integrated approaches to environmentally sustainable development.