Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. In 1991, Vanuatu, on behalf of small island states, first asked the question: 'Who should pay for climate catastrophe?' Over the next three decades, wealthy nations of the global north dodged and deflected that question, while continuing to fuel the climate crisis. They relentlessly pursued profit and power, putting the world on track for climate catastrophe and fuelling climate disasters. These disasters have affected 33 million people in Pakistan, and 50 million people in the Horn of Africa face the threat of famine, amongst many others.

After decades of pushing by the global south, a loss and damage fund has finally been agreed to. New Zealand, Denmark, Germany and Scotland have already committed to contributing. Will the government today commit to paying our fair share of loss and damage?