(AU Canberra Times) Scott Morrison And G7+ Leaders Implored To Act On Climate Change As 'Colossal' Risk To Humanity

Canberra Times - Karen Barlow

An unprecedented grouping of 126 Nobel Prize winners including the Dalai Lama and ANU Vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt are imploring the major G7-plus world leaders meeting this week to act on climate change, warning of 'colossal risks' to humanity.

It comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison warns, ahead of the summit, that Australia is going to chart its own path to net zero.

So, Mr Morrison is among the leaders targeted by the statement which has been led by Professor Schmidt.

"Without transformational action this decade, humanity is taking colossal risks with our common future," reads the Nobel grouping statement.

ANU Vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt is among an unprecedented grouping of 126 Nobel Prize winners imploring G7-plus leaders to act on climate change. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong

The large Nobel Prize grouping includes climate science experts, Nobel Prize winning scientists and Peace Prize laureates, including Northern Ireland peace activist Mairead Corrigan-Maguire, Australian immunologist Professor Peter Doherty, the Dalai Lama and Australian gastroenterologist Professor Barry Marshall.

"As I've said previously, Australia is on the pathway to net zero," he is expected to tell the Perth USAsia Centre.

Mr Morrison insists Australia should chart its own path, a nod to his favoured technology-focused approach.

"Australia does not support setting sectoral targets or timeframes for decarbonising particular parts of our economy or setting false deadlines for phasing out specific energy sources."

"It's not an argument about climate change," he is expected to say. "It's about how Australia best advances our interests as part of a world that is dealing with climate change. It's not about if or when. Protecting and advancing Australia's interests is about the how."

Mr Morrison leaves Perth on Thursday for Singapore before heading to Europe for the G7-plus summit. He'll be under pressure from other leaders, who are more progressive over climate change such as US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to join the global shift towards a net-zero energy economy by 2050.

"Time is running out to prevent irreversible changes," they said the statement.

"Ultimately, this means valuing the resilience of societies and the resilience of Earth's biosphere."

Links

• Nobel Prize Laureates and Other Experts Issue Urgent Call for Action After ‘Our Planet, Our Future’ Summit
• The G7 and a crucial moment for the climate 
• U.K. Calls For Climate ‘Marshall Plan,’ But Will The G7 Deliver?
• Carbon Borders: How the G7 might come down on Australia’s climate negligence
• Morrison will warn G7 nations not to put carbon tariffs on trade
• Your G7 greenwashing guide: How Australia will feign climate ambition
• Scott Morrison’s claim Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling does ‘not stack up’