Lethal Heating: 01/26/21

26/01/2021

(AU) Australia To Join 100 Nations In Climate Resilience Pledge Ahead Of UN Summit

Sydney Morning Herald - Rob Harris

Australia will join Britain and more than 100 countries in a global push for increased urgency for nations to adapt to climate change and the increased droughts, heat waves, cyclones, devastating storms, floods and rising sea levels that come with it.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley will also use an address on Tuesday morning to the international Climate Adaptation Summit to commit Australia to new national climate resilience and adaptation strategy as the impacts of climate change exacerbate economic, social and security threats.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

In a prerecorded address, Ms Ley will underline Australia’s commitment to working with the international community to build on the country’s collaboration with scientists, communities and traditional owners to act on, and adapt to, an already changing climate.

It will include an initial $12.9 million investment towards establishing Climate and Resilience Services Australia, a new capability that will connect and leverage the Commonwealth’s climate and natural disaster risk information to further prepare for and build resilience to natural disasters.

Ms Ley’s speech follows Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s comments at the weekend that he would not be altering Australia’s 2030 climate emissions reductions targets or sign-up to a 2035 target ahead of this year’s United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow.

Ms Ley said that despite global criticism over Australia’s lack of ambition on climate emission targets, the nation was “deeply committed” to collaboration that accelerated adaptation to protect communities and the planet.

“We are joining global partnerships and taking the lead in building resilient communities,” Ms Ley will say, according to a draft copy of the speech circulated to the media.

“Climate adaptation is about taking practical actions to help our environment, our communities and our economy deal with the impacts of climate change that are already taking place.

“We are focused on the steps we can take now and in the future to create a more resilient Australia.”

Labor has increased its attacks on the Morrison government over its tardiness to allocate funding for projects under its own domestic disaster resilience projects, claiming flood-prone regions were unlikely to receive newly-announced mitigation funding until floods have already hit.

Last month it accused the Morrison government of ignoring warnings of La Niña conditions this summer by refusing to spend its $4 billion disaster recovery and resilience fund 18 months after it was announced.

Ms Ley will also announce that Australia will join the Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment - a UN summit initiative, which represents the commitment of the global private financial industry, in partnership with key private and public institutions, to foster the more efficient integration of physical climate risks in investment decision making.

“As part of our commitment to build a more climate resilient world, Australia has pledged new global finance of at least $1.5 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, a 50 per cent increase on the previous period.”

She said establishing Climate and Resilience Services Australia was an example of bringing together Australia’s world-leading climate and natural disaster information and expertise into a national capability.

“For all the work we are doing, we know that the challenges we face are growing and the development of a new National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy throughout 2021 will provide an important road map to meet these future challenges.”

Greenpeace Australia Pacific spokesperson Nelli Stevenson said the federal government’s focus on building “climate resilience”, while remaining committed to mining, burning and exporting coal and gas was putting Australian communities in danger from worsening bushfires and extreme heat.

“Australia is one of the world’s worst climate offenders,” she said.

“We export more coal and gas, the primary drivers of dangerous climate change, than anywhere else in the world. Our federal government has steadfastly refused to follow the lead set by the rest of the world, as well as our states, territories and industry, in committing to net zero emissions.”

She said for Ms Ley to call for “climate resilience” while Australia continued to “spew out emissions smacks of the worst kind of hypocrisy”.

“Australia must step up and commit to net zero emissions by 2040, and phase out mining and burning coal and gas if it is serious about protecting communities from climate impacts such as worsening bushfires, extreme heatwaves, flooding and droughts,” she said. “To keep communities safe, climate resilience alone isn’t going to cut it.”

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(AU) Coalition Signs Australia Up To Agreements To Price In Climate Risk

The Guardian - Paul Karp

Announcement could inflame tensions between Liberals and Nationals, who have criticised banks for asking businesses for carbon transition plans

Federal environment minister Sussan Ley will sign Australia up to Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment and the Call for Action: Raising Ambition for Climate Adaptation and Resilience. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Australia will sign up to two international agreements that aim to integrate climate risk into investment decision-making including through pricing risk, Sussan Ley will announce.

The environment minister will tell the 2021 Climate Adaptation Summit on Monday that Australia will join the Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment and the Call for Action: Raising Ambition for Climate Adaptation and Resilience.

The move could inflame tensions in Australia’s ruling Liberal-National Coalition, due to the National party’s frequent criticism of banks refusing to lend to coalminers and requiring carbon transition plans as a condition of lending.

In an advance copy of her speech, seen by Guardian Australia, Ley commits Australia to join the Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment, an initiative of the forthcoming Cop26 UN climate conference in Glasgow.

The coalition is designed to foster more efficient integration of physical climate risks in investment decision-making.

In a statement, Ley said the coalition was about “putting the tools and know-how into the hands of the investment community and ensuring the infrastructure we build is fit for future climate conditions”.

Ley will also announce Australia is also joining the Call for Action: Raising Ambition for Climate Adaptation and Resilience spearheaded by the UK and signed by 118 countries.

That agreement states that signatories will build “resilient futures by putting climate risk at the centre of decision-making” including through “long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies, or other relevant long-term strategies”.

It also commits members to “increasing the resilience of our economies and financial systems by taking steps to integrate climate risk into investment decision-making and business planning, including through disclosing and pricing risk”.

In December tensions in the Coalition were on display when Liberal MP Katie Allen deprived National MP George Christensen of the vote he needed to set up an inquiry into the climate policy of banks and insurers.

The resources minister, Keith Pitt, told Guardian Australia the joint standing committee on trade and investment growth must “do its job” and insisted the inquiry would go ahead.

At the virtual summit, hosted by the Netherlands, Ley will also promise that in July Australia will set up a National Resilience Relief and Recovery Agency, as recommended by the bushfire royal commission, and Climate and Resilience Services Australia.

In a statement, she committed $12.9m to the latter agency which she said would “connect and leverage the commonwealth’s extensive climate and natural disaster risk information to further prepare for and build resilience to natural disasters”.

Ley’s speech is part of a broader repositioning by the Morrison government as Australia is increasingly isolated on preventing global heating.

In recent months the UK has criticised Australia’s lack of a net zero by 2050 target and the new US president Joe Biden has said Australia must help to confront climate change.

Scott Morrison has signalled Australia may not use Kyoto carryover credits and changed his language by saying Australia wants to “reach net zero emissions as quickly as possible” – but is yet to substantially raise Australia’s emissions reduction ambition beyond a 26% to 28% reduction by 2030.

Morrison has suggested he will not take more stringent medium-term targets to the Glasgow climate conference in November, arguing Australia can achieve reductions through technological improvement regardless of targets.

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(AU) New Focus On Climate Change Adaptation But No Sign Of 2050 Emissions Commitment

ABC News - Jack Snape

Environment Minister Sussan Ley announced Australia was joining international climate adaptation efforts. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)

Key Points

Australia is making international commitments to help prepare the planet for climate change
It has made a 2030 commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 26 per cent on 2005 levels
Over 100 countries have made commitments to achieve net zero emissions by 2050

Australia is joining international efforts to prepare for a changing climate ahead of the UN climate change conference in Glasgow later this year, but critics are still demanding it makes new commitments to reduce emissions.

Australia has joined Canada and the EU in signing up to an international call for climate adaptation and resilience.

It was originally put forward by the UK and signed by 118 countries in 2019.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley said Australia was "joining global partnerships and taking the lead in building resilient communities".

"Climate adaptation is about taking practical actions to help our environment, our communities and our economy deal with the impacts of climate change that are already taking place," she said.

The text of the document reads, "we stand together as global leaders to express our highest concern at the climate crisis that the world is now facing, and our resolve to act", and identifies three areas of commitments:

Acting now to respond to immediate climate impacts and to support the most vulnerable members of society;
Building resilient futures by putting climate risk at the centre of decision making; and
Urgently increasing the availability of adaptation and resilience finance.

The Minister also revealed Australia would commit to the Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment, which encourages investment decisions to factor in climate risks.

Australia has pledged to lower carbon emissions by 26 per cent, based on 2005 levels, by 2030.

But it has still not made a formal commitment to achieve new zero emissions by 2050, nor has it offered targets between 2030 and 2050.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is focused on reducing emissions using new technologies. (ABC Western Queensland: Ellie Grounds)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week said he wasn't interested in making new commitments but would pursue emissions reducing technologies, like carbon capture and storage and hydrogen.

"That is how you actually get to net zero. You don't get there by just having some commitment," he told The Australian newspaper.

"That is where the discussion has to go, and I think the [new United States] Biden administration provides an opportunity to really pursue that with some enthusiasm."

More than 100 countries including the UK have pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and China has committed to achieving it by 2060.

Joe Biden campaigned on a platform of net zero emissions by 2050 in the US presidential election and has vowed to keep climate at the centre of all government decisions.

Move welcomed but more asked

The Australian Conservation Foundation's climate program manager Gavan McFadzean welcomed Ms Ley's announcement but called for a 2050 emissions commitment.

"If the Morrison Government thinks it can convince the global community that by engaging in adaptation it has fulfilled its climate change responsibilities, it's badly misread the room," he said.

"By November's COP in Glasgow, the world will expect Australia to commit to at least net zero emissions reduction before 2050, with clear and measurable policies and interim targets to show how we will get there."

More intense natural disasters loom as one impact of climate change. (ABC News: Marcus Alborn)

Labor's climate change spokesman Mark Butler said the Government had a track record of failing to prepare for climate adaptation and called for a net zero emissions by 2050 pledge.

"The Government completely excluded climate adaptation from their 2017 Review of Climate Change Policies," he said.

"They cut funding for significant adaptation work at CSIRO, completely de-funded the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility and produced a new National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework that fails to take climate change seriously."

Greens leader Adam Bandt said "the Coalition is driving us off the climate cliff, but want to let us know they've packed a box of band-aids for the trip".

"If the Government can commit to 'ambitious' mitigation targets, it should commit to ambitious prevention targets, too, otherwise Scott Morrison is just making the climate crisis worse."

Mr Morrison told the Business Council of Australia AGM in November: "Looking beyond 2030 we want to reach net zero emissions as quickly as possible and to achieve this through technology, not higher taxes either directly through government sanctioned electricity prices or as a result of a carbon tax."

In a call with Mr Morrison in October, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson emphasised the need for "bold action" to address climate change.

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A Million Young People Urge Governments To Prioritise Climate Crisis

The Guardian - Fiona Harvey

World leaders will meet for Climate Adaptation Summit to consider how to adapt to extreme weather

Climate campaigners in Lisbon last year. Photograph: Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty Images

More than 1 million young people around the world have urged governments to prioritise measures to protect against the ravages of climate breakdown during the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

World leaders are due to meet by video link on Monday to consider how to adapt to the extreme weather, wildfires and floods that have become more common as temperatures rise. Ban Ki-moon, the former UN secretary general, will lead the Climate Adaptation Summit, and leaders including Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Narendra Modi are expected to attend.

Ban said: “We must remember there is no vaccine to fix our changing climate. As climate change impacts continue to intensify, we must put adaptation on an equal footing with [cutting emissions]. Building resilience to climate change impacts is not a nice-to-have, it is a must, if we are to live in a sustainable and secure world.”

He said efforts to repair the damage done to economies by Covid-19 were in danger of compounding the problem. “I am deeply concerned that in domestic stimulus plans dirty measures that increase carbon emissions outnumber green initiatives by four to one,” he said.

Patrick Verkooijen, the chief executive of the Global Centre on Adaptation, said it was time to redirect spending.

“As governments begin to invest trillions of dollars to recover from the pandemic, they have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a more resilient, climate-smart future – to build adaptation in the next round of fiscal stimulus,” he said. “A coordinated green resilient infrastructure push with the right policy incentives could boost global GDP by 0.7% in the first 15 years and create millions of jobs.”

Climate-related disasters are estimated to have cost about $650bn (£474bn) globally in the past three years, amounting to more than 0.25% of total GDP. The UN has warned that by 2040 damages associated with climate breakdown could soar to $54tn.

Activists from the Youth Adaptation Network signed a call to action urging government interventions over the next decade “to prepare younger generations for the transition towards green and climate-resilient development”.

They called for a greater focus on climate change in education around the world, and for educational resources to help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change to be provided online. They also called for more funding for projects that increase resilience to the impacts of climate breakdown.

Many of the measures needed to reduce people’s vulnerability to extreme weather are well understood and relatively cheap to implement, from early warning systems against storms, to planting trees that help prevent flooding and landslides, or regrowing coastal mangrove swamps that provide a natural barrier to storm surges and sea level rises.

However, despite their proven efficacy, little funding is available for taking such preventive measures. A recent report from the UN Environment Programme found that the world was badly lagging behind on the actions needed.

The youth document called for “a timely and innovative financing mechanism, and technical assistance to support youth-focused projects that build resilience and adaptive capacity among marginalised communities”, and for assistance to young people in vulnerable communities seeking to install adaptation measures.

The need for adaptation measures is increasing. Last year saw numerous examples of escalating extreme weather around the world, from a heatwave in Siberia to devastating wildfires in Australia and the US, a record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season, and storms and floods in Asia. The pandemic took a further toll on the ability of many countries to cope with these disasters, according to a report on climate adaptation to be presented at the summit.

“Extreme climate events compounded the challenges of responding to the pandemic in 2020. Evacuating populations from the path of cyclones, hurricanes with the threat of contagion. Covid-19 and climate disasters intersected to create a set of cascading risks, highlighting the interconnected nature of the impact of systemic shocks and the importance of a coordinated global and local response,” the report said.

Thousands of scientists from around the world, including four Nobel prize winners, have signed a separate call to world leaders at the summit, demanding that adaptation be prioritised.

They said in their statement: “As our failed response to the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated, the world is simply not ready to face the investable impacts of our climate emergency. Unless we step up and adapt now, the results will be increasing poverty, water shortages, agricultural losses and soaring levels of migration with an enormous toll on human life.

“We must avoid inaction where those who are not rich lose out, and cannot react in the timeframe necessary and without resources to make the required changes.”

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