On his first full day on the job, Australia's new prime minister mentioned the words "climate change" four times within two minutes of his maiden international speech.

Fresh from election victory, Anthony Albanese sought to present a new Australia to the world, one that takes climate change as seriously as defense, after decades of inaction.

At the Quad meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday, Albanese told his counterparts from the United States, India and Japan that climate and the security of the region were among the biggest challenges of their time.

"The new Australian government's priorities align with the Quad agenda, taking action on climate change and building a stronger and more resilient Indo-Pacific, "Albanese said, in words broadcast around the world.

But experts say it won't be easy to turn around a coal-powered ship that has for years been chugging in the wrong direction, partly fueled by a government earning billions of dollars in export revenue.

The powerful fossil fuel lobby could fan headwinds, as could those aligned with the former Liberal-National government -- a center-right-conservative coalition -- though after years dominating the Australian parliament, their voices are likely to be drowned out by a cohort of Greens and climate-motivated independents who made big gains in the weekend vote.

Change appears to be coming in Australia, but the new government needs to convince the nation that the climate crisis presents an opportunity, not a threat to jobs, said Frank Jotzo, director of the Center for Climate and Energy Policy at the Australian National University (ANU).

"What the government should do is to talk deeply about climate change as an opportunity to help create better economic opportunities for the younger generation,"Jotzo said. "A government that wants to change things needs to establish a narrative that is overwhelmingly strong against the inevitable lobbying by powerful vested interests."

President Joe Biden, right, shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the Quad summit in Tokyo

 Thank you CNN for the report.