Fossil fuel approvals undermine credibility
As Noel Turnbull revealed, the latest Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index found that “half of Australia’s tourism sites and airports are currently in the highest three climate risk categories.”
However, while tourism is a significant employer, it is not a key industry on which life depends. Food, water and shelter are needed to survive and in its report, “Food Fight: Climate change, food crises & regional insecurity”, the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group concluded that “Australia is ill-prepared for the security implications of climate-change enhanced global food crises” and recommended that “an urgent review should be undertaken of Australia’s food production and supply chain resilience in a hotter climate.”
The ‘first pass’ of the Australian government’s National Climate Risk Assessment identified 56 significant climate risks facing Australia, and a subset of eleven priority risks for analysis in the second pass. Food and water security are two of the eleven.
While the Albanese government has made a commitment to climate change adaptation in the 2023-2024 budget, with a focus on climate risk assessment and a National Adaptation Plan, the ongoing approval of new fossil fuel projects considerably undermines its credibility.
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