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hatrack

(59,442 posts)
Tue Apr 20, 2021, 09:16 AM Apr 2021

"No Action On Anything" - Australia's Shambolic Climate Policies Leave It Increasingly Isolated

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Christian Downie, an associate professor in climate policy and foreign affairs at the Australian National University, said a China-US statement was significant as it showed the two countries were willing to work together on climate despite being at odds on other issues. The statement reiterated the Paris commitment to “pursue efforts to limit global heating to 1.5C”, and the countries said they both hoped this week’s summit would raise global efforts on climate mitigation, adaptation and support.

Downie said it was further evidence Australia’s position on the climate crisis was not credible. “You don’t have to take my word for it, you can just look at what John Kerry said about Australia not being on the same page on climate change,” he said. “The Australian government has a choice to continue to window dress its climate record and be lumped with laggards like Russia, Brazil and even Saudi Arabia or it can work alongside our closest ally to achieve significant climate targets and, most importantly, follow Biden’s lead in backing it up with a plan to get there.”

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“Australia really cannot be shamed. It doesn’t respond to pressure and hasn’t for years and years,” Eckersley said. “We’re really out on a large limb on climate and it’s very cold out there. The question is what other countries will do when they get really tired of Australia.”

Bill Hare, an adviser to developing countries and chief executive of the consultancy Climate Analytics, said Australia already had the third-highest per capita emissions of any country and was “set to fall further and further behind”. “In Australia, there is no commitment to keep 1.5C in reach, which we know is a level critical to the survival of the Great Barrier Reef,” he said. “Instead there is vague talk about preferring to reach net zero emissions by 2050 but absolutely no action on anything.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/20/no-action-on-anything-australia-increasingly-isolated-as-us-and-others-ramp-up-climate-ambition

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