Greenpeace Australia Pacific Media Release
The National Climate Risk Assessment, released today, lays out the catastrophic impacts to communities and ecosystems across Australia if we fail to reduce climate pollution fast enough and limit warming to 1.5 degrees.
The report paints a frightening future of increasingly deadly heatwaves, destructive fire seasons, extreme downpours, rising seas, and mega-droughts not seen since European settlement with cascading impacts on our health, food and water security, infrastructure, livelihoods and ecosystems.
The report comes as the Government prepares to release its 2035 climate plan under the Paris Agreement and is bidding with Pacific nations to co-host the COP31 climate conference. It warns that extreme weather events may lead to the forced displacement of some high-risk communities, with major impacts on local economies and cultural heritage.
Greenpeace is calling on the Albanese Government to deliver a strong, science-backed climate plan to safeguard our communities from escalating disasters, instead of protecting coal and gas corporation profits.
Dr Simon Bradshaw, Climate Expert at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “What the Albanese Government does now, in the wake of this extremely confronting report, will shape the lives of communities throughout Australia. It is their duty to protect us, and it will be a shameful legacy if they don’t.
“Communities in Australia are already facing the harsh reality of life on a fast heating planet – from extreme heat and longer fire seasons to record-breaking floods and disastrous algal blooms – and the National Climate Risk Assessment has made it clear just how much worse things could get.
“The Government sat on this crucial report for months, depriving Australians of essential information needed to plan for their future. We expect better than this.
“In the wake of this report, and amid harmful input from lobby groups like the Business Council of Australia, who are canvassing a weak climate target, the Australian Government has a clear choice: lock communities into a future of worsening disasters, health crises and rising costs – or finally put the safety of our communities first.
“The Albanese Government has been given an overwhelming mandate from the Australian people to take stronger action to tackle the climate crisis. It must respond to this report by setting a strong, science aligned climate target of net zero emissions by 2035, and committing to a timeline for the fast, fair phase-out of fossil fuels including gas.
“The Climate Risk Assessment has shown us not only what we have to lose, but, more importantly, just how much we can and must fight to save. Everything we love is at stake.”
Dear reader, we need your support
Independent sites such as The AIMN provide a platform for public interest journalists. From its humble beginning in January 2013, The AIMN has grown into one of the most trusted and popular independent media organisations.
One of the reasons we have succeeded has been due to the support we receive from our readers through their financial contributions.
With increasing costs to maintain The AIMN, we need this continued support.
Your donation – large or small – to help with the running costs of this site will be greatly appreciated.
You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969
But ….. but…
There’s no such thing as climate change – according to the experts at the LNP at least.
And, noocleer will be the answer if there is an energy shortage!
Amazing how ‘experts’ such as Murray Watt, Albanese and former Environment Minister Tanya Pilbersek, Tony Bourke et al failed to act for the benefit of the country and planet!
Sheer bloody mindedness for a fist full of dollars and a paid sinecure post politics.
Watch the Abalone government duck and dive,talk rubbish, and do a pathetic job of pretending to care.Why on earth would they be awarded the COP31 Climate Conference when it is so blatantly obvious that it will only be a cover for their woefully inadequate climate response.Disgusting,embarassing, and gutless.
Overwhelming mandate for what?Nail down that post political gravy train?
Read Tim Winton’s ‘Juice”…we are fucked.
“Climate bloody change”, thinks A Hastie, no doubt, as he contemplates disappearing up his own fundament and retiring from public life in the brawlingsprawlingappalling party, currently run by a bit SUS. A former captain, not general material perhaps, Hastie knows that soldiers fight and kill in any weather, so there! If only politicians could and would think…then they might absorb the science and face the facts decently.
They have their Soma. They won’t know till reality hits them.