The time is now to act on climate change

FROM THE MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
DATE: Wednesday, May 16, 2007

A new report released today emphatically sets out why Australia needs urgent national leadership on climate change, Acting Premier John Thwaites said today.

Mr Thwaites said governments had a duty to act in climate change now, rather than leave future generations to deal with its devastating impacts.

“The science is in. The time for climate change scepticism is over. We need urgent action now to cut greenhouse pollution and to adapt to the reality of climate change,” Mr Thwaites said.

“I urge the Federal Government to follow the lead of the States and implement a National Emissions Trading Scheme, which caps Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, as a matter of urgency.”

Climate Change and Infrastructure – Planning Ahead, the first study of its kind in Australia, examines the potential risks to key infrastructure areas such as water, power, telecommunications, transport and buildings.

The study highlights a number of climate variables and potential effects including bushfire damage to water catchments, power shortages, storm impacts on ports and coastal infrastructure and increased flood damage to buildings.

“As Sir Nicholas Stern found – the future costs of inaction on climate change will far outweigh the costs of taking the necessary steps now,” Mr Thwaites said.

“Climate change goes right to the heart of the necessities of life and future generations will mark harshly any government that fails to act.”

CSIRO project leader for the study Paul Holper said that most infrastructure had been designed and maintained on the premise that future climatic conditions would be similar to the past.

“We can’t simply assume that the way we built offices and factories, roads and railway lines, water supply and stormwater systems in the past will be right for the future,” Mr Holper said.

Mr Thwaites said the study was part of a broader Bracks Government initiative to bolster the State’s leadership in dealing with climate change.

“The Climate Change and Infrastructure study only underlines the critical importance of getting a national emissions trading scheme up and running quickly, so that we can work towards significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions,” Mr Thwaites said.

“The onus is now on Mr Howard to establish a fair dinkum emissions trading scheme that makes substantial reductions to Australia’s greenhouse emissions and safeguards our economic and environmental future, when his Task Group tables its report this month.”

For more information on climate change and a copy of the study, visit www.greenhouse.vic.gov.au