South Australia's parliament becomes the latest to declare a 'climate emergency'

The South Australian parliament has passed a motion reaffirming an urgent need to decarbonise the state's economy.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas (middle) among lower house MPs at the state parliament in Adelaide, Kaurna Yerta, Source: AAP / MORGAN SETTE

South Australia has joined other governments and jurisdictions around the world in declaring a climate emergency.

The Labor government's climate emergency motion passed both houses of state parliament on Tuesday night, reaffirming the urgent need to decarbonise SA's economy and shift to renewable sources of energy.

Climate Minister Susan Close said 10 years of inaction and climate culture wars at the state and federal levels had left Australia exposed to the effects of climate change, as well as stymieing investment in the renewable energy sector.

The most recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report confirmed that some parts of Australia had already recorded increased average temperatures of 1.4C since 1910, she said.

"We really need to focus on supporting projects and policies which are climate-friendly and encourage growth in resilient low-carbon businesses," Ms Close said.

"The government will position South Australia to take advantage of the global need to rapidly reduce emissions.

"Labor sees the climate crisis as a jobs opportunity, especially in the regions where many renewable projects are located."

South Australia's Climate Minister Susan Close says 10 years of inaction and climate culture wars at the state and federal levels has left Australia exposed to the effects of global warming. Source: AAP / MORGAN SETTE

Conservation SA chief executive Craig Wilkins said the parliamentary motion followed a concerted community push, including a petition which attracted more than 10,000 signatures.

"It is a welcome and long-overdue recognition of the dire situation we face," he said.

"Now with the formal declaration of a climate emergency, the focus from the state government must be on building our state's capacity to tackle the emergency ahead of us."

But the Liberal opposition said the government had missed an opportunity to include practical action in the motion, by knocking back amendments to include emissions targets.

Opposition leader David Speirs said it showed the government was more interested in chasing headlines than delivering real outcomes.

"Declaring a climate emergency without including any practical action is the very definition of virtue signalling and gesture politics," he said.