News Analysis: IPCC report strengthens calls for Australia to act on climate change

Sydney (Australia), August 13: As a latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted the importance for the global community to tackle climate change, Australian experts agreed that the urgency for the nation to act has never been more present.
According to a recent report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a Britain-based non-profit organization, 61 percent of countries in their sample have committed to net-zero emissions, and the majority of these countries have set their targets for 2050 or earlier. Australia is one of just a few countries that have not made a firm commitment to the target.
Following calls for action spurred by the IPCC's report, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison refrained from suggesting a revised target.
"I won't be signing a blank cheque on behalf of Australians to targets without plans," he said on Tuesday.
In the past, Morrison has remained vague on the timeline for the nation's emissions targets. In February this year, he described the nation's target as "as soon as possible, and preferably by 2050."
Many fear the government's weak stance on net-zero emissions will prove to be too little, too late.
A climate change expert from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra, Dr. Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick told Xinhua that while "we should have started 30 years ago," it is crucial for Australia to act now.
"I don't see why it isn't possible (for net zero emissions by 2050), as long as we have the political will, that's the driving factor. So many people are already wanting to use green energy."
The IPCC's report expects global temperatures, which have already risen nearly 1.1 degrees Celsius of warming since 1850-1900, to reach or exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming over the next 20 years.
Emeritus Professor from the Australian National University, William Steffen said that while a certain amount of change has already been made inevitable, a sense of urgency should be felt to curb the temperature increase as much as possible.
"The point I think it does make is one of urgency, that to get on this low emission trajectory, to keep us close to 1.5 (degrees Celsius), really requires very urgent action," Steffen told Xinhua.
"We've got to get emissions dropping downwards very rapidly, ideally reducing emissions by 50 percent this decade."
"Every fraction of a degree that we can hold temperature down, means it is less likely to trigger some of those tipping points... which in a worst-case scenario could push the climate system out of our control," he said.
Dr. Perkins-Kirkpatrick said the brunt of increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions projected by the report will be felt by Australia's agriculture industry.
"Every aspect of agriculture, wheat farming, fruit farming, livestock such as cows are really sensitive to temperature," she said.
Beyond the direct impact to industry, Dr. Perkins-Kirkpatrick warned of the wide-reaching effects extreme weather events will have on Australians' livelihoods.
"More heat waves, more people get sick; more bushfires, more people get sick. The pressure that's going to put on hospital infrastructure is really high."
For Australia to curb its emissions, Dr. Perkins-Kirkpatrick said the country will need to progressively decouple itself from non-renewable sources of energy.
"Yes, coal is the backbone of the Australian GDP. Firstly, this has been talked about for 30 years so it's not like we haven't had any time to change our ways. And secondly, over time maybe we can replace something like coal with exporting greener energy solutions," she said.
With signs pointing to a dire future, Dr. Perkins-Kirkpatrick offered up some words of hope.
"We still have time to reverse catastrophic climate change... we still have the ability, collectively and individually, to make sure we limit warming. It's up to us."
Steffen said that while many young people are looking for hope, it is not something that can replace action.
"It's not hoping for (change), it's actually getting out there and making it happen," he said.
"You have to be part of the solution no matter who you are."
Source: Xinhua