In Parliament: Climate Change questions, statements and COP27

Image: Prime Minister Albanese answers a question on Loss and Damage asked by Leader of the Opposition peter Dutton

A few question on climate change being asked in the Commonwealth Parliament during Question time during the UN Climate Change conference COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.

On November 7, Queensland Greens MP Ms Watson-Brown asked the Prime Minister about the bid to host the Climate Change Conference COP31 in 2026 and whether he would commit to not opening any of the 114 new coal and gas projects presently in the pipeline?

The Prime Minister failed to answer the question. 

This question was originally attributed at the Guardian Live page as Peter Dutton, leader of the opposition, asking the question.

On November 8 Peter Dutton (Leader of the Opposition) asked a question whether the Prime Minister would ‘rule out’ compensating other countries for the climate crisis. It should be noted Loss and Damage is an important issue at COP27.

The Prime Minister in his response recalled the joke that Peter Dutton made in 2015 about our island neighbours drowning and then described the diplomatic efforts taken since May in restoring the credibility of Australia in the Asia Pacific region on Foreign policy. 

Albanese failed to address that Australia is not funding its fair share of climate finance and is the only OECD country not to participate in multilateral climate finance funding through the Green Climate Fund, after former Prime Minister Morrison unilaterally withdrew Australia from this Fund in 2019. (See Guardian report)

• 10 November - Question on COP27 - Zalli Steggall
• 10 November - Question on funding Climate Activists - Mr Fletcher
• 10 November - Statements - Raise our voices Australia - Dr Aly
• 10 November - Statements - Australia: Floods - Brian Mitchell
• 10 November - BILLS on Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Reform
• 9 November - Statements - Environmental Conservation - Kylea Tink
• 9 November - Statements - Little Climate Heroes Playgroup - Louise Miller-Frost
• 9 November - Questions on Climate Change - Sally Sitou
• 8 November - Questions on Climate Change - Peter Dutton
• 8 November - Questions on Climate Change - Dr Ananda-Rajah
• 8 November - Statement (on Gas Industry) - Adam Bandt
• 8 November - Statement on Budget cut to National Centre for coasts, environment and climate - Ms McKenzie
• 7 November - Questions on Climate Change - Elizabeth Watson-Brown
• 7 November - Statements (on Climate Change)- Zali Steggall
• 7 November - Petitions (related to Climate Change)
• 7 November - Global Methane Pledge motion by the Opposition

No climate Justice without Human rights - Intervention by Tasneem Essop during the COP27 Opening Plenary

Egypt is one of the most repressive nations in the middle east and human rights is an enormous issue. 

Tasneem Essop, Exective Director of CAN International chose in her 1 minute intervention at the opening plenary of the UN climate Change Conference COP27 to shine a spotlight on repression in Egypt, and that there is no climate justice without human rights.

I understand Egypt's President Abdelfattah El  Sisi squirmed a little in his seat during this speech.

Australia a laggard on climate finance. Will it promise more at COP27, support a Loss and damage facility?

According to a recent Carbon Brief analysis, Australia gave just 38% of its fair share climate finance and fell short by US$1.7bn. Other assessments have been equally critical.

In Falling Short: Australia's role in funding fairer climate action in a Warming World - by Action Aid, Oxfam Australia and other NGOs on Australia's climate finance, found that Australia’s international climate funding is currently just a tenth of our international fair share. 

Australia’s fair share of international commitments is AUD$4 billion per year; however, our average contributions sit at only AUD$400 million per year over the period 2020-2025 says the report. 

If Australia wants to support our Pacific neigbours and host the UN Climate Conference COP31 in 2026, climate finance is an area it needs to step up.

Blunt choice: Climate Solidarity Pact or a Collective Suicide Pact says UN Secretary General António Guterres at COP27 openning

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made it clear in his speech upon the opening of the UN climate change conference COP27 what we face if the world fails to address the climate emergency. 

That "We are in the fight of our lives. And we are losing. Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing. Global temperatures keep rising. And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible. And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible. We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator."

Guterres articulated the principal issues being faced by this COP and the urgency to address them. It is another thing whether negotiators will heed his warnings and advice to be ambitious and implement the solutions. 

• Today’s crises cannot be an excuse for backsliding or greenwashing.
• All G20 countries must accelerate their transition now – in this decade. Developed countries must take the lead.
• Call for a historic Pact between developed and emerging economies – a Climate Solidarity Pact.
• Desperately need progress on adaptation -- to build resilience to the climate disruption to come.
• Loss and damage can no longer be swept under the rug. It is a moral imperative. It is a fundamental question of international solidarity -- and climate justice.
• Time for nations to come together for implementation.

As COP27 starts Australia supports Loss and Damage finance, bids for COP31 in 2026 and a new Climate Change Ambassador

As the UN climate change conference COP27 starts in Sharm El-Sheikh, Australia has announced our new Climate Change Ambassador to be career public servant Kristin Tilley.

Australia is also launching a bid with Pacific nations to host the 2026 UN climate change conference (COP31). These conferences are rotated around the different regions and the next opportunity for Europe and other, which Australia is in, will be in 2026.

With the election of a Labor Government to Federal Parliament in May 2022, Australia has increased its commitment to climate action. From being a laggard country it is now in the middle of the pack of developed nations.

At the opening plenary Australia, as chair of the Umbrella Group of Nations, supported the inclusion of the agenda item on financial measures to address Loss and Damage, a key item for developing countries.

Montreal Protocol continues work limiting chemicals destroying ozone layer at MOP34

Remember the threat of the growing hole in the ozone layer? 

Well scientists and Governments came together in 1987 and implemented the Montreal Protocol Treaty to regulate substances such as chlorofluorocarbons that were increasing the ozone hole. 

The ozone holes have been decreasing over the last two decades. We have it largely under control, but there is still decades to go before the ozone layer is recovered. But the work of the Montreal Protocol continues. 

The Montreal Protocol remains the only international treaty ratified by every country on Earth.

It is meeting this week in Montreal. Here is a quick summary of the first day of 34th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP34).

Australia commits to signing Global Methane Pledge

Australia committed today to sign on to the Global Methane Pledge to cut methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 based on 2020 levels. Australia will join 122 other countries in signing the pledge. Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen released a statement this afternoon of this commitment and putting in place measures to support the farming sector to reduce methane. No mention of addressing under-reporting of methane emissions and addressing mining fugitive emissions was more nebulous.

Signing the pledge was supported by many environmental groups and the National Farmers Federation.

Victoria sets 75-80% emissions reduction target for 2035, Net zero by 2045, New Renewables Targets VRET of 65% by 2030, 95% by 2035.

The Victorian Labor Premier, Dan Andrews, and Climate Change Minister Lily D'Ambrosio, have announced the State's 2035 emissions reduction target, new renewable energy targets and re-establishment of a  government Owned electricity supplier for the market.. 

The new 2035 emissions reduction target is set at 75-80% reductions on 2005 levels, and net zero by 2045. It places Victoria as globally ambitious in climate targets.

Victoria new renewable energy targets are 95% renewables by 2035, 65% by 2030.

The Victorian state government will undertake to build 4.5 gigawatts of publicly owned renewables and the reestablishment of a publicly owned electric commission. 

The government has estimated its energy plan will create 60,000 jobs by 2035. 

Flemington Racecourse Floowall an example of urban climate maladaptation

Victorian Racing Club were allowed by the Bracks Labor Government to build a stone flood wall at Flemington Racecourse in 2006 over the objections of local residents and three local Councils. 

This racing track is built on the floodplain and should provide mitigation from floodwaters. 

Instead those floodwaters from the Maribynong river inundated local residential areas on Friday flooding about 245 homes, and damaging many vehicles. 

Prevention of floodwaters spreading across the Flemington racetrack likely exacerbated flood impacts on residential areas that were flooded.

Who will pay for the damage to residential property? The citizens affected, their insurance companies (if they have flood insurance) and it will contribute to all our insurance premiums.

All to prioritise the gambling industry above citizens. And the Melbourne Cup.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Urea production Locking in Fossil Fuels greenhouse gas emissions for industrial Food production

A new international report identifies Fossil Fuel fertilisers as an important growth area for coal and gas sectors  as part of the petrochemical industry. Plastics and Nitrogen fertilisers are both products of fossil fuels that continue to lock us in to systemic fossil fuel consumption. 

Fossil fertilisers create greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of production to their use in industrial agriculture. They lock our food system productivity into continued greenhouse gas emissions.

Coal or Gas are major sources for nitrogen fertiliser, turning methane into Ammonia through steam reformation, and then into Urea and water. 

Here in Victoria the recently published Victorian Greenhouse Gas emissions report to 2020 highlighted the increased Urea use, while this detail was buried very deeply in the report and few have commented on the massive expansion of Urea use in Victorian agriculture over the last thirty years. (See lead graph for Victoria Urea application.)

"The total area of crop cultivation almost doubled, from 1.8 to 3.5 million hectares between 1990 and 2020, while the application of fertilisers increased from just under 50,000 to 328,000 tonnes of nitrogen (an increase of 561%) over this period. This also contributed to a significant increase in urea application emissions which grew nearly seven-fold between 1990 and 2020 (Figure 40), with particularly strong growth in the last decade (DCCEEW 2022a)." said the Victoria report.