"For those of you who don't follow Australian politics closely, we've just had an election, [there's] a new government, the whole world has changed," she said.

The rousing response from those in the room, including applause and cheers, appeared to surprise even the new Environment Minister.

"It seems that some of you do follow Australian politics," Ms Plibersek said with a laugh.

Ms Plibersek's reception in Portugal perhaps shouldn't have come as a surprise.

It was but the latest sign - and there have been many since May 21 - of the international community's relief at the election of a new Australian government.

Under the Coalition, Australia was a pariah at these global climate and environment forums, labelled a "laggard", a "handbrake" and frequently accused of undermining efforts to tackle global warming.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison belatedly agreed to attend last year's COP26 climate summit, and once in Glasgow refused to raise his government's meagre 2030 emissions reduction target.

Worse still, no sooner had Australia signed up to the summit's pact had Mr Morrison and his ministers rejected one of its central clauses.

Voters repudiated the Coalition at the ballot box, abandoning sitting Liberals in favor of independent, Greens and Labor candidates who were pushing stronger climate policies.

Had members of the international community been allowed a vote, the result on May 21 might have been far worse for Australia's 30th prime minister.

In that context, the rousing reception which Ms Plibersek received at this week's conference might have been less about her and her government than it was about the regime they've replaced.

Whatever the motivations might be, this section of the international community is warmly embracing Australia's new government and the promise that under its leadership "the environment is back - front and centre".

The question for the Albanese government is whether it remains there - in the form of action, not just rhetoric delivered to friendly audiences.

The domestic challenges facing Ms Plibersek are immediate, numerous and significant.

Some of them will be made public on July 19, when the new minister releases a major environmental report which her predecessor refused to publish before the election.

Ms Plibersek is warning that the latest five-yearly state of the environment report paints an "alarming picture" of decline and neglect.

It is a series of trends which she'll be responsible for reversing.

The Environment Minister also finds herself forced to navigate the competing - many would argue incompatible - priorities of a government which is committed to climate action but unwilling to abandon coal and gas.

Ms Plibersek recently argued Australia was capable of "having a strong, growing economy and stronger environment protections", when asked how she reconciled the government's support for projects such as drilling in the Beetaloo Basin.

That stance is unlikely to appease those in the international community pushing for a rapid phasing out of fossil fuels.

The new government's 43 per cent 2030 target is well beyond the Coalition's ambitions, but still below what the science says is needed.

The international community has re-embraced Australia after the May election.

It is out of "naughty corner". For now.