Australia could pay a high price for climate change
In 2007, the Australian government commissioned the Garnaut Climate Change Review, an independent research organisation headed by economist Prof. Ross Garnaut of the Australian National University, to examine the impacts, challenges and opportunities of climate change for Australia.
In its final report, the Garnaut Review summarised its assessment of a future with no reduction in greenhouse gas emissions: “Growth in emissions is expected to have a severe and costly impact on agriculture, infrastructure, biodiversity and ecosystems in Australia. There will also be flow-on effects from the adverse impact of climate change on Australia’s neighbours in the Pacific and Asia. These impacts would be significantly reduced with ambitious global mitigation.”2Based on Garnaut’s findings, the Australian government has clearly stated the need for Australia to act on climate change:
Without action, scientists predict up to 20 per cent more drought months over most of Australia by 2030, more intense and damaging cyclones and rising sea levels with serious impacts on:
• coastal property in Australia
• low lying Asian mega cities
• the Pacific Islands.
With one of the hottest and driest continents on earth, Australia’s economy and environment will be one of the hardest and fastest hit by climate change if we don’t act now.
It threatens Australia’s food production, agriculture, water supplies, as well as icons like the Great Barrier Reef, the Kakadu wetlands and the big tourism industries they support. Today we are already beginning to feel the economic and environmental costs of inaction on climate change. But if we delay action any longer, these costs will be felt even more by not only our generation, but also our children and grandchildren.”3
Learn more at climatechange.gov.au and find out what you can do.