The Australian election results on Saturday will determine the climate agenda for one the world’s worst per capita CO2 emitters. It comes as the world faces a Rapidly closing window to stop the most severe impacts of climate change.
The country, dubbed a “wrecker” at climate change negotiations, is a major exporter of fossil fuels, largely to East Asia and India. It has been criticized for grossly insufficient climate targets by the UK and US as well as its neighboring Pacific nations who As sea levels rise, their homes could disappear.
At the same time, polls indicate voters back stronger climate action in the “sunburned land,” having already experienced Wildfires and floods can be deadly and costly.Recent years have seen climate change as a factor. The country is Extremely vulnerable for the impacts of climate crisis
“Australians are feeling, seeing and noticing climate damage now,” said Kelly O’Shanassy (chief executive of the Australian Conservation Foundation).
Despite widespread support, the major parties that are vying to win votes in the tight election do not have the public’s support. It was barely mentionedPeter Christoff is a senior research fellow at Melbourne Climate Futures, which is part of University of Melbourne.
Christoff said, “And this is really quite concerning.
Wildfires in 2021: Australians already feel the effects of climate change
Coal lobby pushing against climate protection policies
Since 2007, Australia’s two major parties, Labor Party (center-left) and Liberal Party (conservative Liberal Party), led by Scott Morrison, have been in an impasse. open warMultiple leaders were thrown out of office because of their climate change policies.
Christoff stated that “the public vitriol in political interchanges, particularly over an emissions trading system and a price for carbon and carbon taxes, led to some of our most vile politics we’ve seen in Australia in the past 15 years.”
Labor believes it The supposedly lost “climate vote” in 2019 was lostTo the Liberals Because of a backlashAgainst its strong climate policies, and job fears in key coal-mining seats.
Australia is the second largest coal exporter in the world. And because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, rising coal prices mean Australia will likely earn 100 billion Australian dollars (67 billion, $70 billion) in one year from coal.
Between 100,000 and 300,000 Australian jobsAccording to an independent Australian think tank, The Centre for Policy Development, those who are connected to coal, oil, and gas could be at risk if they don’t prepare for the shift to fossil fuels.
Major parties are weak on climate
To date, the conservatives have stymied significant action on climate change blocking a major emissions trading scheme, Reduced funding for climate research subsidizing and allowing fossil fuel production to expand and abolishing the government-funded Climate Commission.
At the 2021, UN climate conference in Glasgow, the government refused to budge from its 2030 emission cuts of 26% to 28% on 2005 levels one of the weakest targets in the developed world. The UN Climate Action Tracker rates Australia’s emissions and net-zero targets as “poor” and “highly insufficient,” putting it on a path to more than 3 degrees Celsius warming.
The Liberal Party is going into the 2022 elections. Promised net-zero by 2020, but has This is a difficult thing to overlook.. It also promised to continue exporting Australia’s coal, gas, and has included these fossil fuels into its domestic energy blueprint.
Labor This election is currently predicted to winHas also pledged to be net-zero by 2050, and Stronger emission reductions of 43% by 2030. It has pledged tens of billions of dollars to revitalize the nation’s energy grid and install solar banks and batteries. But it says it will not stop exporting coal or gas.
Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party looks set to win
Is there a new climate in the country?
Australia is dominated by two main parties. But Labor and the Liberals are dragging their heels on climate changes. This has opened the door for new challengers.
A group of independents, dubbed “the teals,” are competing with Liberal lawmakers for urban seats. Mostly women, they receive funding from a group called Climate 200 a relatively new political fund established by clean energy investor Simon Holmes a Court and have campaigned on climate, integrity, and gender equality. They all have ambitious 2030 emission goals. Targets for reduction range from 50% to 70% by 2030.
They seem to be attracted by moderate Liberal voters who are disillusioned by the lack of progress on climate change. Recent polling has shown that several key seats are in danger.
Meanwhile, the Greens have enjoyed a surge and are now polling at about 15% nationally compared to 10% in the 2019 election. They have pledged to Cut emissions by 75% before 2030Go net-zero by 2035 and phase out the burning, mining, and exporting of coal by 2030.
Depending on how the election results are interpreted, both the Greens as well as the teal candidates could have significant influence over the government.
Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg might lose his seat in favor of a climate-friendly independent
Business calling for climate action, huge potential for renewables
Businesses also call for more action. In one example, Australian tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookesis trying to use his wealth AGL, the energy giant, must exit coal-fired power generation.
Even the Business Council of Australia which represents big banks and corporations, such as industrial and retail giant Wesfarmers, mining companies BHP and Rio Tinto and airline Qantas is now also calling for major emission cuts by 2030. This is a significant shift for the organization, which in 2018 called for 45% emission reduction cuts. “An economy wrecking target.”
O’Shanassy, ACF, stated that “it’s not the community that’s holding back the Australian political Parties on climate action” and “it’s certainly not not the business community.” “Everyone wants climate change, except the people who go to Parliament House.”
But Neither Labor nor the Liberals have enough targetsTo bring Australia in line the Paris Commitments. Emissions reductions of at most 50% by 2030According to some estimates, this is what’s needed to keep it below the 2 degree threshold and 75% for the 1.5-degree target.
ACF believes the next government should take advantage of the country’s huge solar and wind potential and could quickly cut emissions while preserving jobs by replacing fossil fuel exports with hydrogen and ammonia fuels.
“We must use the huge amount of renewable power we have in this nation. O’Shanassy explained that we should multiply it by 10 and then export this energy and stop importing pollution to the rest of the world. “That would make a significant contribution to climate change.”
Edited By: Jennifer Collins
