Source: "Everything you need to know about Australia's 2035 Climate Target", Climate Council
Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, the Most Reverend Jeremy Greaves, has called for greater moral courage from the government in response to its 2035 climate target announced today.
Speaking on behalf of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) he said the new emissions reduction target of 62 to 70% by 2035 falls short of what’s needed when questions of fairness with the developing world are properly considered.
“This falls well short of what scientists have told us is needed to avoid the worst. While it’s true that this target is consistent with the level of emissions reduction the world as a whole needs to make, it completely fails to address major questions of fairness. It is widely accepted internationally that countries like Australia with high emissions and advanced economies need to set targets above the global average so that developing nations aren’t overburdened in the transition.”
“According to the Climate Council, if other developed nations followed Australia’s lead it would be consistent with a disastrous 2.4C degrees of warming.
“We have had it spelt out this week exactly what that kind of warming would mean for Australia with the National Climate Risk Assessment report.”
“We need the government to show more moral courage. Our collective future is at stake and time is short. We need a government that will not only read the electorate but also lead them. Recent history suggests that Australians will back any government more and more as they show more courage in tackling it.”
“Moral courage is an essential spiritual virtue in many religious traditions. In the Christian tradition it is one of the four cardinal virtues. Buddhism speaks of the need for resolve on the path including the most basic foundation of that path, which is ethics. It will take courage to phase out coal and gas exports and, at the same time, provide alternatives for workers in those industries.”
“An even bigger test will be what the government does about phasing out coal and gas exports. This target, important as it is, only covers our domestic emissions. The much bigger test will be whether this government has the courage to address our emissions from exports of coal and gas, which are considerably larger. At this stage the government has shown no sign at all of doing the right thing here.”
“If the UN climate summit COP31 is indeed held in Australia next year, this will be the question that shows whether we are serious or not. The proposed co-presidency of COP31 may be untenable without a policy shift.”
To arrange an interview with the Archbishop
Call Tejopala Rawls on 0498 475 056
