The Climate Change Commission has released a report in Sydney calling this the “critical decade” for action.

The report found heatwaves are increasing in length and intensity and coastal areas are at risk from sea level rises.

Jane Buckle reports.

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With record heat waves, bushfires and rising sea levels across Australia, the time to act is now.

The report focuses on Western Sydney, calling it an urban heat island with the number of days of extreme fire danger and heatwaves increasing.

The Commission warns of further heat-related deaths across Australia with increases of 23 per cent in Brisbane and 63 per cent in Melbourne alone.

Professor Lesley Hughes, Federal Climate Commissioner: “The heatwaves recently the last few years in both Melbourne and Brisbane there was an excess number of deaths.”

To minimise this risk, the Commission says Australia must move to clean energy sources by 2050.

The report is already being labelled as scare-mongering by climate change skeptics.

Jane Buckle, QUT News.