“In short, 2023 was a year of opposites.”

Australian National University professor Albert Van Dijk says the state of our environment swings in a precarious balance.

ANU’s annual environmental scorecard report, released on Tuesday, gives each state a rating out of ten for environmental impact. As a country, Australia scored seven-point-five, down almost two points from last year.

The higher the score, the lesser the impact on the environment.

“2023 looked like an average year, but when you look deeper it was a very wild year in terms of climate swings from wet to dry. So, a bit of a climate rollercoaster. And that of course affects nature and agriculture and us in our houses,” says Professor Van Dijk.

WA scored just five-point-five. The Northern Territory, often stereotyped as having the poorest environment of Australia’s states and territories, scored the highest at eight-point-eight. This was, according to Professor Van Dijk, because of a strong monsoon season after a dry winter.

Professor Van Dijk says it’s important for people to think of the natural world and urban life as one liveable environment, instead of competing against each other. He says this way of thinking will help make climate action digestible to everyday Australians.

“You can define environment very narrowly as nature but of course, our lives depend on having a liveable environment,” he says.

“I think it’s a shame the environment gets whittled down to specific issues because climate change is affecting everything.”

According to Professor Van Dijk, simple household solutions like solar shouldn’t be overlooked. However, he also says government involvement is integral to helping everyday people feel capable of climate action.

Hear more from Professor Van Dijk.

Joyce Erceg from the Australian Conservation Foundation agrees.

“The government is in a real position to take action, and people need to see government action to follow themselves,” she says.

However, despite the ordinary citizen doing their bit, Ms Erceg says the impact of mining and large-scale emissions caused by gas and fossil fuel production cannot be ignored.

Sonya Elek from local advocacy group Go Beyond Gas says WA’s role in national emissions numbers is more significant than people think.

A 2021 report by the Australia Institute stated the NT was the highest per capita polluter in the country, with WA following not far behind. Since then, emissions have increased across the board, according to more recent studies from the Australia Institute, indicating 2030 emissions targets are becoming increasingly unrealistic.

“If you look at our per capita emissions, they’re high, but if you look at total country emissions they might not seem that high. They are if you dig a bit deeper,” Ms Elek says.

“These emissions are the biggest factor, especially in WA. And they need to be acted on.”