John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am flattered. Flattery, as you know, Senator Williams, will get you everywhere in politics.

Getting rid of the Climate Change Authority would mean that Australia would no longer be taking the battle against climate change seriously. It is as simple as that. Despite the scepticism of some, the reason temperatures are rising is not an issue of serious debate. As I have on so many occasions now over many years, I want to stress the issue of climate change science, because the overwhelming majority of scientists agree that human activity is the principal cause of climate change. The evidence is in: humans are responsible for climate change. The evidence is compelling, it is unequivocal and it is growing.

I know that there are some who wish to argue a different position. I accept that opponents of the scientific basis of climate change are entitled to their view, but I do not expect such views to be taken seriously, because global warming is not a giant conspiracy. It is not an abstract theory, but part of a new reality that we all face—that Australia faces; that every nation in the world faces. As I say, I have spoken for many years now on many occasions about the science of climate change. It should be a guide to what we do because the science of climate change is becoming surer, not less certain.

I would refer interested senators to the International Panel on Climate Change and its most recent report. I do not want to traverse the ground that I covered in a recent speech in the Senate about that report. Suffice to say the IPCC predicts that if carbon dioxide emissions only increase at the minimal rate, then global average temperature could rise by 0.9 degrees to 2.3 degrees Centigrade by the end of the century. But, if the worst-case scenario is met, this could be as much as 3.2 to 5.4 degrees Centigrade.

Let's look at our most recent experiences in Australia—not what might happen, but what actually has happened. Australia has just experienced its warmest September ever; its hottest summer day on record, 7 January 2013; its warmest winter day on record, 31 August 2013. And this year, 2013, is on track to be the warmest year on record. According to the World Meteorological Organization, all the warmest years across the planet have occurred since 1998. Even the coldest years are warmer than anything before 1998. This means we are committed to a warmer future—so you better get used to it. These numbers cannot be fudged, they cannot be spun, and nor should anybody try to do so. Increasing average temperatures is affecting human health; it affects animals, it affects plants, it affects agriculture, it affects industry—it affects so many parts of our lives. It is also having knock-on effects on the weather, as we know, with a warming ocean increasing the intensity of storms and melting the polar icecaps.

Limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. So I say yet again: it is crucial that we focus on the science of climate change and that we consider the most efficient methods of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To do this Australia needs long-term bipartisan strategies in place, based on expert advice, so it is so short-sighted to abolish the Climate Change Authority. That is why the opposition opposes the legislation.

Debate interrupted.