Australia is failing to ensure equity in climate action and ensure meaningful participation in decision making. Australia must develop mitigation and adaption plans and policies that provide benefits for vulnerable groups and reduce inequality, and legally require consultation with diverse groups (including children, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, elderly people, people with disabilities, people experiencing poverty, and women) and the publication of their views. 165 Australia is failing to assist developing countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Australia must increase its climate finance contribution to 2.4% of global flow, additional to existing ODA budget,166 and ensure it captures the needs and priorities of vulnerable communities. BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS Australian companies continue to have significant adverse human rights impacts within Australia and abroad. Of particular concern are corporate contributions to the climate crisis, attacks on civic space, human rights violations in corporate supply chains, impacts on public health and abuses associated with the extractives, financial and immigration detention sectors. Despite its 2016 voluntary commitment, Australia has failed to develop a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. Australia must renew its efforts to develop a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and provide effective pathways to remedy for corporate human rights violations. While Australia’s new Modern Slavery Act 2018 – requiring companies to report on their actions to address modern slavery – was a positive step, the legislation relies on voluntary reporting. Australia must introduce mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence obligations for companies to effectively combat forced labour and other human rights violations in corporate supply chains. Australia must also require companies emitting greater than 25,000 tCO 2-e per annum to reduce their emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement, while respecting human rights in a swift, just transition to a net zero economy. INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE Australia has cut the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, diminishing Australia’s capacity to support human rights internationally. 167 Low investment has contributed to the failure of the aid program to meet the 80% target of projects effectively addressing gender equality. 168 Australia must increase its ODA budget to 0.7% of GNI to boost capacity to promote human rights. Australia must also invest in technical expertise and women’s rights organisations to meet the aid program’s gender target. As Australia seeks to implement new aid modalities, including blended finance for infrastructure, vigorous safe guards will be needed to mitigate risks to human rights that have previously caused concerns for government-financed projects.169 To meet treaty and SDG commitments Australia must put human rights, rather than national interest, at the centre of its ODA program. Regulations introduced in 2018 require Australian charities with overseas activities to prevent harm, exploitation and abuse of vulnerable persons. 170 These address high-risk activities including volunteering 14