🟠 News Club - The climate intermission is over

It’s been a hot minute since climate change dominated the headlines - or an election campaign. But with extreme weather events on the rise and big global deadlines approaching, the conversation is picking back up…

The climate intermission is over

One thing that was surprising about the recent federal election campaign was the absence of climate change as a major issue. To be honest, I struggle to recall what policy issues rose to the fore, but unlike previous campaigns of the last 15 years, climate wasn’t really one of them this time around. 

That’s not to say climate policies won’t be in focus in this new term of government… That’s because one of the faultlines in the shaky Coalition is that many Nats (and some Libs…) do not support the target of net zero emissions by 2050 - a commitment made by then PM Scott Morrison in 2021. 

And with the Albanese Government set to confirm Australia’s 2035 emissions reduction target at the United Nations’ big climate summit later this year, get ready for fresh debate on how Australia’s economy will be protected while doing our bit globally. 

In the meantime, extreme weather events affecting millions of Australians keep the question of ‘how much of this is related to climate change’ in the news. 

So our Club Picks this week are a collection of things I’ve read over the weekend on those themes. 

1. Dr Kimberley Reid - a research fellow in atmospheric sciences at Melbourne Uni - has a view: she says it’s “undoubtedly clear that continuing to burn or export fossil fuels will increase the risk of extreme weather devastating Australia.” But her piece in The Guardian about researchers’ efforts to understand and predict extreme weather events is more nuanced than the headline. 

2. Speaking of devastating events, it’s not just about record-breaking floods… Drought is affecting parts of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia and parts of NSW are very dry. Farmers featured in this visual article from the ABC are frustrated by the lack of focus on their plight. “I hope that the government, both state and federal, can just turn around and come and visit us. And say, ‘I see you, we understand, and we will try and help the best we can,’” said one. 

3. In terms of addressing climate change via greenhouse gas reductions, Australia has committed to a 43% reduction by 2030. The Albanese Government is set to confirm our new short-term target later this year, and on the weekend, a 65% cut was flagged as likely, given a range raised by the Climate Change Authority. 

4. Cue debate about taking emissions out of electricity generation while keeping power prices down… As this excellent backgrounder in the Financial Review on the recent history of this very issue says: “Energy policy can be punishingly complex. The forces that drive long-term changes to the price you pay on your power bill aren’t always straightforward; analysts build entire careers as understanders and interpreters of the system.” 

One thing’s for sure - climate policy is a persistent force that keeps reasserting itself regardless of political cycles - especially when there are deadlines looming. Hopefully, this helps you feel a bit ahead of the game.

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