Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Conclusion: contributing to a global deal
Professor Ross Garnaut has stated:
The behaviour of Australia - the developed country with the highest per
capita emissions … will have considerable influence. Australia will be influ-
ential because the developed countries with high per capita emissions will be
expected by the rest of the world to fully contribute to the global effort. If
they do not, this will materially weaken the commitments of others, especially
in the developing world. We, and other developed countries, can through
inaction exercise a veto over effective global mitigation. (Garnaut, 2011)
His comments underscore the logic and the imperative for strong action from
Australia. Australia and its citizens are intimately connected - politically,
socially and economically - to countries that are vital to achieving global
agreement on climate change. However, while many of us want Australia to
be a global leader in this domain, it is clear that we first have a lot of catching
up to do. Many of our Pacific Island neighbours are on the front line of climate
change. They are already feeling the impacts, and without urgent and concerted
action from wealthy developed countries like Australia, their future - and ours
- looks bleak.
Note
1
My thanks to Phil Ireland and Kelly Dent for their invaluable work on the original
conference paper and to Kelly for her assistance in updating it.
References
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