SYDNEY, Australia (CU)_Australia will join the United Kingdom and over 100 other nations in a global push for increased urgency for climate action, in order to tackle increasing weather conditions that lead to rising sea level, floods, cyclones, droughts and heat waves.
Accordingly, in an address to the international Climate Adaptation Summit on Tuesday (Jan 26), Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley is expected to underline Australia’s commitment towards working with the international community in order to act on, and adapt to, an already changing climate.
During this pre-recorded address, the Environment Minister is also expected to commit her country to a new national climate resilience and adaptation strategy, which would include an initial $12.9 million investment towards establishing Climate and Resilience Services Australia.
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Scott Morrison noted that neither would he be altering Australia’s 2030 climate emissions reductions targets, nor would he sign-up to a 2035 target ahead of the United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow this year.
Although the international community has often criticised Australia’s lack of ambition on climate emission targets, Ley said the country is “deeply committed” to collaboration that accelerated adaptation to protect communities and the planet.
“We are joining global partnerships and taking the lead in building resilient communities,” she will say, according to a draft copy of the speech circulated to the media.
“Climate adaptation is about taking practical actions to help our environment, our communities and our economy deal with the impacts of climate change that are already taking place… We are focused on the steps we can take now and, in the future, to create a more resilient Australia.”
