Australia’s recent election was all about climate change and the policies needed to turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower in the future. This election’s win highlights a significant shift in the political landscape on issues of climate, the environment, and our planet as a whole.
Australian Elections Were All About Climate Change Priorities
Australian voters ensured the return of the Labor Party to power. Researchers in Australia are now optimistic that the new government will take stronger actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The new Australian President, Anthony Albanese, has promised to end the country’s climate wars. This is a huge win for people pushing for more climate action in Australia.
“Australia has been badly exposed to climate change, from droughts, fires, and floods. Yet research on climate change impacts and adaptation has been starved for years,”
says Frank Jotzo, an Environmental Economist at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Analysis shows that Australian citizens have been increasingly demanding greater climate change commitments from political leaders. Citizens wanted to elect the candidate that supported stronger climate actions.
Renewed Hope For Australia After Elections
The Labor Party has committed to reducing emissions by 43% by 2030 and to boosting sharing of electricity produced from renewable sources by 82% by 2030. Australia is also reportedly seeking to host the United Nations Climate Conference in 2024.
The party plans to establish a Parliamentary Office of Science to provide independent scientific advice to the Parliament on issues of climate change, as well as establish an Australian Center for Disease Control to better prepare for a pandemic.
“The policies of the previous government were always at odds with the science of climate changes ongoing on our planet, so hopefully this will change with the new government,”
says Michael Brown, an Astrophysicist at Monash University in Melbourne.
