The ACT has led the way on climate action. Until now

Amid the previous national chaos, Canberra quietly implemented and achieved a 100 per cent net renewable electricity target with tripartisan support.

Local environmental groups worked with Canberra's Liberals to keep them in the tent. The three parties played nice together. Canberra's climate policies were insulated from Parliamentary Triangle's toxicity.

But with the world hurtling towards a dangerous future, Canberra can't rest on its laurels. Global emissions have kept growing since the 2015 Paris Accord with a small respite due to COVID-19.

As all Australians that suffered the Black Summer Bushfires and recent floods know, climate disasters have kept growing too. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently described the flooding in Pakistan as "climate carnage". It destroyed 1.7 million homes - 20 times Canberra's total housing stock.

The ACT Legislative Assembly is set to debate the first serious update to the 2010 Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act. This is an opportunity for us to step up again. It's a chance to reinforce an end to the Climate Wars that have caused so much harm in Australia.

The draft bill helps address some of the abatement problems like disconnecting from gas and over-reliance on offsets.

But it needs improvement. It could do with a key measure Senator for the ACT David Pocock and his counterpart from Tasmania Jacquie Lambie secured in the recent Federal Climate Change Act.

The bill's proposals lack a best-practice accountability mechanism and proper analysis and reporting on cost-effectiveness. Ominously, there also seems to be a lack of tripartisanship.

Several practical actions could strengthen the bill. First, it needs an Action Plan with a tangible process for achieving the net zero emissions target.

Second it needs an independent and credible mechanism for assessing and reporting on cost-effectiveness. The ACT Climate Council could be tasked to do this annually. And its members could be appointed through the Legislative Assembly rather than by the Minister.

Third, the bill needs an inclusive review mechanism requiring open consultation with business, the community and all Legislative Assembly members.

Fourth, to increase ambition, the bill needs to frame its targets against the Paris Agreement's 1.5 degree warming threshold rather than the outdated 2 degree goal. Canberra just hosted two former Pacific Presidents who were key to the Paris negotiations. Their message remains strong, we need 1.5 to stay safe.

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Finally, this second iteration of our city's climate action legislation needs tripartisan support. In the face of what Guterres calls a "grave climate emergency", it is more important than ever for climate policy frameworks to be durable.

They must be able to withstand political shifts and changes of government. There is no more time for policy vacillation. The costs will be too high.

The Canberra Liberals backed Canberra's first climate plan - both the 2020 100 per cent renewables target and the 2045 net-zero emissions target. There was no major controversy.

This time, after the Pocock effect ousted Zed Seselja, Labor and the Greens may think they don't need the Canberra Liberals. But almost two out of five Canberrans vote for the Liberals. And effective and durable climate policies need community and cross parliamentary support.

ACT Liberal leader Elizabeth Lee understands the importance of climate action. As shadow environment minister she began moving the party back to the middle. She now has an opportunity to do so as leader.

The Liberals could offer constructive suggestions like those above. They can show the climate leadership currently lacking in their federal counterparts.

Now is the time for Canberra's Legislative Assembly to come together for climate action. By working together, our Legislative Assembly can strengthen our city's climate action and lead a new era of cooperation and collaboration on climate change. Locally and nationally.