Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In a 2020 analysis by the Institute for Economics and Peace, we were told that, by 2050, as many as 1.2 billion people in 31 countries could potentially be displaced by the climate crisis. Additionally, 5.4 billion people face extreme weather stress and 3.5 billion could face food insecurity. It's not an exaggeration to say that climate change is the most significant challenge humanity is yet to face.

All around the world—just in the last few months—we've seen what extremes in climate can do. There have been fires in North America and last week Pakistan suffered devastating floods, killing more than a thousand people and displacing more, with waterborne diseases rife and many struggling to find food. I provide my condolences and thoughts to the residents of Werriwa whose families have been devastated by these events.

None know the threat of climate change more than our neighbours in the Pacific islands, who have been urging the global community to take this crisis seriously. This is not a distant threat to them; this is a lived reality. Those in the Pacific islands have unfortunately experienced the worst of the effects of climate change: sea level rises affecting coastal infrastructure, more intense cyclones and droughts, crop failure and water shortages. Some Pacific islands are drowning. This is not a laughing matter and it creates stress for the people who are facing these crises.

Biodiversity loss will be significant, with incredible, unique ecosystems being disrupted by the continuous onslaught of climate change related events. Unfortunately, the loss may be greater than estimated, as larger areas are unsurveyed. But we do know that the Pacific region holds three of the world's 35 biodiversity hot spots, and they will experience disproportionate effects of climate change.

Displacement is also a major current and future issue for our Pacific neighbours. With more coastal areas becoming uninhabitable, those who live there will have no choice but to move further inland or abroad. Kiribati and Tuvalu could become completely uninhabited within 50 years due to sea level rises. With over 2.3 million people estimated to be living in the Pacific region, this will cause extreme instability and a severe humanitarian crisis. This is a human and cultural catastrophe. Thousands of people will be left homeless, with many more becoming food and water insecure as climate change decimates already scarce resources in the region. With this displacement comes loss of cultural and indigenous knowledge. The loss is invaluable to both the people of the Pacific and the entire world.

More specifically, our partners in the Pacific have been urging Australia to treat climate change like the threat that it is. Despite what we know of climate impacts in our region and in our country, they were met with silence by the previous government. When the government did respond, it did so with embarrassing climate targets that it didn't believe in and a policy of disengagement and denial.

The last 10 years of inaction saw Australia under the former government become a pariah on the global stage. We were out of touch with our closest allies in the Pacific as well as historical allies the US and the UK. The work that our government has done in three months to legislate our carbon emissions and work with all parts of the economy to reduce greenhouse gases has finally provided certainty. Remember: these targets are a floor, not a ceiling. We were at risk of isolating ourselves from our Pacific partners. We need to take climate change seriously. There is no role in the Pacific for an Australia that fails to listen to the issues that are effecting our shared region.

The government has been working to repair our relationship with neighbours, with the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, initiating a series of meetings with the Pacific family. We know that, because of the disrespect that was shown over the last nine years, Australia must work hard to regain the trust of the Pacific island nations. With the climate crisis becoming more and more evident as we experience it firsthand, we must ensure our region is forging a path forward to a carbon neutral future. The whole world deserves a better outcome and for us to make sure that we look after them and understand their reasons and their concerns.

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