Australians want action on climate

The bushfires burning across the nation have refocused debate about climate change, writes Amanda McKenzie

THANK you to the emergency services, volunteers and all who have responded so quickly and generously to the bushfire crisis and recovery effort.

The sheer scale of hurt and devastation Australians are experiencing is unfathomable. Our thoughts are with victims and their families, the people who have lost homes and businesses, the animals who had nowhere to run and communities affected longterm by this crisis.

From the beaches of Mallacoota to the smoke-choked streets of our cities, Aussies are reckoning with a terrifying truth: the impacts of climate change are here.

Many are frightened. A lot are angry. People are heartbroken, anxious about what to do.

Fires are still burning, but as the national focus shifts to the recovery effort, we have to work together, across all levels of government, industry and society, to transform the nation’s climate change response.

As announcements are made and state and federal funding is allocated, any recovery effort must be accompanied by strong climate policy.

Reducing emissions requires decisive policies to encourage large-scale investment in renewables and return confidence to business. It’s time to show elected leaders the groundswell of Australians that want action on climate change. Enough is enough.

Through our rapidresponse media work with Greg Mullins and Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, we have been busy demonstrating that climate change has made these fires worse. This has fundamentally changed the public, media and political conversation.

The global ridicule over Australia’s lack of credible climate policy, and outrage over Federal Government mismanagement of the bushfire crisis is intensifying pressure for urgent, meaningful climate action — 78 per cent of Australians agree the Federal Government ignored warnings and was underprepared for the risk of bushfires this season and, even before the bushfire crisis, 60 per cent of Australians believed that we’re not doing enough on climate change.

This majority view must be reflected in our national Parliament.

Scott Morrison has conceded the link between climate change and bushfires, and indicated that the Federal Government will “evolve” its climate policies in response to the bushfire catastrophe.

But evolving our climate policies requires starting with some credible ones. Our current emissions reduction targets are woefully inadequate, and well below what the science has confirmed is necessary.

Given the Coalition’s track record, questions remain as to whether this shift in language will actually translate into any meaningful climate action.

That’s why we must hold our Government to account, and ensure this crisis is the pivotal moment that transforms our nation’s climate response into tangible climate solutions.

We can do that by joining forces today, contacting our local MPs across the country and making sure they all acknowledge the wishes of the constituents they claim to represent. The dangers of climate change are no longer a future threat — they are a lived reality.

Now more than ever, we need to act on climate change by developing a credible national climate policy to reduce our emissions and protect all Australians.

Amanda McKenzie is chief executive of the Climate Council, an independent nonprofit organisation formed to provide independent, authoritative climate change information to the Australian public. It was formed by former members of the Climate Commission after it was abolished by the Australian federal government.