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 global heating.
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 Their homes could be at risk as sea levels rise.
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.These are all recent examples of global warming. The country is Extremely vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis.
“Australians feel and see 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 support of the public. We barely mentionPeter Christoff, senior researcher with Melbourne Climate Futures (part of the University of Melbourne), said that they are addressing the issue in their campaigns.
Christoff stated, “And that’s really quite worrying and worrying.”
Wildfires in 2021 – Australians already feel the impacts of the climate crisis
Why don’t the major parties address climate change?
Since 2007, Australia’s two major parties, Labor Party (center-left) and Liberal Party (conservative Liberal Party), led by Scott Morrison, the incumbent Prime Minister, have been in an. open warMultiple leaders were thrown out of office because of their climate change policies.
Christoff said that the public vitriol over political exchanges, especially over an emissions trading scheme and a carbon tax and price on carbon, led to some ugly politics in Australia over a fifteen-year period.
Labor believes it The supposedly lost “climate vote” in 2019 was lostTo the Liberals Because of a backlashIts strong climate policies and job fear in key seats in coal-mining regions are a direct result of its strong climate policies.
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 (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, Climate research funding is being cut. 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 2050, but has There is no reason to ignore this. It also promised to continue exporting Australia’s coal, gas, and has included these fossil fuels into its domestic energy blueprint.
Labor Currently, this election is predicted to winAvowed to be net-zero in 2050 and has By 2030, stronger emission cuts of 43%. 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 appears set to win. However, they may still need the support from the Greens and teal independents
Is there a new climate in the country?
Australia is dominated mainly by two major parties. However, Labor and Liberals have been slow to address climate change.
A group of 22 women, dubbed the teal independents, are competing with Liberal lawmakers for urban seats. They are funded by 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 targets. Reduced emissions targets of between 50% and 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 indicates that several key seats could be at risk.
Meanwhile, the Greens have enjoyed a surge and are now polling at about 15% nationally compared to 10% in the 2019 election. They have promised to Cut emissions by 75% before 2030Go net-zero in 2035, eliminate coal mining, burning, and exporting by 2030, and convert the grid into 100% renewables.
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
Businesses can also get involved in climate action
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. It’s a major shift for the organisation that called for 45% reductions in emissions in 2018. “An economy wrecking target.”
O’Shanassy of ACF stated, “It’s definitely not the community holding back the Australian parties on climate action” “Everyone wants climate action, except the people who go up to Parliament House.”
But Neither Labor’s nor the Liberals’ goals are sufficientto bring Australia in line avec its Paris Commitments. Emissions reductions of at most 50% by 2030These are the minimum requirements to keep it below the 2 degree threshold and around 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 make use of the vast amount of renewable energy that we have in this nation. O’Shanassy says we need to multiply it by about ten, then export that energy and stop importing pollution to the rest of the world. “That would make a significant contribution to climate change.”
Edited By: Jennifer Collins
