“A place we’d rather not be:” Why Labor needs to listen to and respect the climate science

One of the world’s leading climate scientists has urged Australia, and the world, to go “full sail” on decarbonisation, arguing that the scale of climate events already show that we are in “a place we’d rather not be.”

The federal Labor government is expected to announce its crucial 2035 emissions reduction target in coming weeks, after digesting a report and recommendations from the Climate Change Authority chaired by former NSW minister Matt Kean.

There is growing concern that Labor will settle for a target on the weaker end of the 65 per cent to 75 per cent considered by the CCA. Environmental groups insist that to be consistent with the Paris target of limiting global warming as close to 1.5°C, the target should be net zero by 2035 – or at the very least 80 per cent.

Progressive industry is pushing for a target of at least 75 per cent reductions – below the 2025 baseline – while business lobbies push for a target in the low 60s, or even lower, while the inevitable climate deniers and conservatives say we shouldn’t do much at all.

Pep Canadell, head of the Global Carbon Project for the last 27 years, and one of the world’s most respected climate experts, says the science is clear.

“Unless we change tack, we are on a trajectory of close to a 0.3° temperature rise per decade,” Canadell says in the latest episode of the Energy Insiders podcast. “If you just make the calculations … in 50 years, we are well past 2.5 degrees above pre industrial levels. It’s not too complicated to think where we going.”

Canadell says the world’s is already experiencing average global warming of more than 1.3°C over pre industrial levels, and yet two thirds of the world’s population have already personally experienced massive climate events.

“We’re not even at 1.5°C and now you’re asking me, you know, whether 2°C is going to make a bigger difference? The thing is that even where we are now, it’s a place that we would rather not to be.

“What’s really changing very rapidly is that more and more people realise what climate change is …. by the end of this decade, we (will be) in a permanent place of a minimum 1.5°C … I think that we’re looking at some exponential growth of some of these big impacts.”

Is it too late to act?

No, Canadell says.

“Sometimes I get asked the question, are we too late? And you know, we’re never too late. The amount of damage that can come from climate change is unlimited.

“So I think that what we’re trying to do is to reduce it to a level that we can manage it from, from an adaptation point of view, and perhaps ultimately do something to the climate like removing carbon dioxide emissions to even cool it off and bring it down.

“Because once we get to a point and we stabilize the climate, if we don’t like that climate, well, we’re going to be there for many, many, many decades, if not, hundreds of years.

“So I think that what we’re trying to say is that, you know, we know there’s no limit … we want to keep things at the impacts that we can potentially manage.

“And of course, we can already see that impacts cannot be managed because we have real consequences of loss of life, laws of nature, loss of biodiversity, loss of economic productivity. Look at the the big global insurers, and the insane amount of money that it’s been spent on these events.”

Canadell says there are opportunities to limit the impacts.

“There is no reason why we cannot change our minds and go full sail on decarbonisation,” he says.

“The Biden administration in the US really did absolutely incredible things to push a green revolution, and that was bipartisan. So it was really powerful. And I think that there’s no reason why we cannot see more of these things.

“We should be very concerned about the climate change that is coming up and the impacts, you know, I think that at the same time, there is this incredible opportunity to develop this society in a way that makes cleaner and smarter.

“It’s like all the things that, in part, we want to do anyway, and climate is forcing us to do it very quickly.”

To listen to the full interview with Pep Canadell, please tune in to the latest episode of the Energy Insiders podcast. You can find it here: Energy Insiders Podcast: Time to go “full sail” on decarbonisation

If you wish to support independent media, and accurate information, please consider making a one off donation or becoming a regular supporter of Renew Economy. Your support is invaluable.