Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Milne for her continued interest in climate change, unlike those opposite. The science of climate change is robust and continues to be robust, despite challenges from a very small number of scientists and public commentators including those opposite on occasion. The science clearly demonstrates that the climate is warming and will continue to do so as a result of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report on extremes has found that climate change can result in unprecedented extreme weather and climate events.

The Australian government has established the Climate Commission to provide the public with reliable independent information about climate change. There is unequivocal evidence that the earth is warming. If you look at the global statistics, mean atmospheric temperature has increased by around 0.74 degrees Celsius over the last 100 years. A recent report by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has found that 2011 was among the 15 warmest years since records began in the late 1800s. In Australia each decade has been warmer than the previous decade since the 1950s. Through the process characterised by rigorous oversight, transparency and expert participation, the IPCC finds that warming is very likely due to human activities. Of course, these findings are supported by respected international institutions around the globe: the World Meteorological Organisation, and Australia's CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology. Australia faces potential significant environmental and economic costs from climate change impacts including on coastal communities, infrastructure, water, security, health and energy supplies. (Time expired)