The Climate Council is Australia's leading climate change communications non-profit organisation and was formed to provide independent, authoritative information on climate change and its solutions to the Australian public. It advocates reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It was created by former members of the Climate Commission after it was abolished by the Abbott government in 2013. It is funded by donations from the public.

The Australian Government, under the ruling Labor Party, formed the Climate Commission in February 2011 to act as an independent advisory group to report on the science of climate change. Following the Australian federal election in September 2013, the Labor Party lost power to the Liberal/National coalition, with Tony Abbott installed as Prime Minister. On 19 September 2013, Abbott instructed his ministers to disband the Climate Commission. Among the reasons given for closing the Commission were to "streamline government processes and avoid duplication of services", and to save the A$1.6 million per year spent in operating the Commission. Responsibility for advising the government on climate change was consolidated under the Bureau of Meteorology.

Following the announcement that the Climate Commission was to be wound up, there was a public movement calling for its immediate reinstatement. Former chief commissioner of the Climate Commission, Tim Flannery, along with current CEO and co-founder, Amanda McKenzie, announced on 23 September 2013 that an independent non-profit organisation, the Climate Council, would be launched in its place. The founders of the Climate Council were all former commissioners of the disbanded Climate Commission, including Flannery, Veena Sahajwalla, Lesley Hughes, Will Steffen, and Gerry Hueston. Andrew Stock later joined as the sixth Climate Councillor.

The Climate Council now has 11 Councillors – experts in a range of fields including climate science, biology, health, bushfires, business, energy, public policy, and more. Additional Climate Councillors who joined the Council include Greg Mullins, Greg Bourne, Hilary Bambrick, Joëlle Gergis, Cheryl Durrant, and Kate Charlesworth.

The startup funding for the Council was raised through crowdfunding, with donations opening at midnight on 23 September 2013. By the end of Tuesday 24 September $218,000 had been given by 7,200 members of the public. Flannery told The Conversation on the Tuesday that the Council intended to raise $500,000 by the end of that first week. By Friday of the first week, in a stronger than expected response, over 20,000 people had donated amounts totalling close to $1 million.

The Climate Council continues to rely mostly on donors for funding (89%). The remainder of its funding comes from philanthropic sources. In 2022/23 the Climate Council declared an annual revenue of A$7.88 Million and 44.1 full time equivalent staff.

The 2018/19 financial year saw the Climate Council’s number of core members (weekly and monthly regular donors) grow to over 4,800 people with the average regular donation standing at $28.

Tim Flannery is frequently cited as having stated that: "Our independence is central to our credibility, so if people do donate, don't try to influence what we do". Mark Wootton of the Climate Institute, speaking in support of the Climate Council, cited the need for an organisation to "hold account perhaps the government at times".