Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister of Australia, gestured that he likely not attends the crucial climate summit of the United Nations in November as his administration faces continued criticism of its poor climate record. In a short interview with the West Australian newspaper, he said that he hadn’t decided yet to attend the conference or not. Additionally, he suggested it as a burden.
He also told the host of the newspaper that it was another foreign trip, and he spent plenty of time in quarantine. The 2021 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference will be the international climate crisis dialogue in years. It is anticipated that the twelve-day COP26 summit between world leaders in Glasgow, Scotland, will generate the next emissions standards to slow or reduce global warming and keep the temperature rise less than 1.5 °C.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he’s yet to decide whether he will attend #COP26.
Plus, should consumers do more to live sustainably?
We’ll be debating these on the #DailyClimateShow with @MikeBernersLee and @JenIrisAllan.
🕡 6.30pm
📺 Sky 501 / Freeview 233 pic.twitter.com/2V0Qd5KWLO— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 27, 2021
However, the prime minister said that he would consider other countries’ priorities, such as reopening the Australian borders with other countries. He also told the newspaper that he plans to focus on things in the country, including the coronavirus. Further, he adds that there will be a lot of matters to manage, and he needs to manage those challenging demands.
Which is the most carbon polluting nation in the world per capita?
Australia is one of the biggest exporters of coal and gas in the world and is one of two hundred countries expected to present their latest 2030 emissions cuts at the summit. Morrison added that he wishes his country to achieve net-zero emissions as early as possible, but it still didn’t specify any measures to do so. The nation has also constantly been criticized for its slow climate progress and heavy dependence on coal-fired power, making it the most carbon polluting country globally per capita.
Canberra, the capital of Australia, is also staunchly protective of its fossil fuel industry, and it planned to continue pulling out and trading with other countries as there is demand in Asian countries. In July, a United Nations report ranked Australia last among one hundred and seventy member countries for its response to the climate crisis. Despite the claims of the country to the contrary, the United Nations previously said that Australia is not on the right track to reach its updated Paris Climate Agreement targets of a twenty-six to twenty-eight percent decrease on 2005 levels by 2030.
Growing Pressure on Australia
While speaking to ABC radio station of Australia, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed on Monday that they still didn’t make a decision on whether the prime minister would attend climate talks or whether she would attend in his place. However, he said that Australia would definitely represent itself at the COP26 meeting, no matter which Australian representative attends. In the interview, she said that they are strongly committed to setting out a long-term emissions cut plan before the COP and focused on it as a government.
Because of the climate fallings, Australia is becoming isolated on the global stage. At a recent defense meeting in Washington, the United States officials forced Australian ministers on the climate record of their country. The officials also cited the urgency of the climate issue in an announcement that Morrison signed. In recent weeks, members of the European Union parliament told CNN that Australia has one of the worst records regarding climate among all the developed countries.
Source: Web
Furthermore, some of them expressed doubt when it emerged that the representatives of Australia pressured the United Kingdom into falling major climate commitments from their mutual trade accord. On the other hand, Keith Pitt, the Australian resources minister, comments sacking the United Nations as a foreign body that should stay out of the internal affairs of Australia has worsened the image of the country as an uncooperative player in climate action.
The World is Warming Speedily than Scientists Previously Thought
The UN Climate Change Conference comes at a crucial time for the efforts of the whole world on the climate crisis. Moreover, in August, the United Nations published a report that revealed that the world is warming quicker than scientists previously thought. Likewise, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least half this decade is critical to avoid the more disastrous impacts of climate change.
Australia is already experiencing more warming with higher sea level rises than the international average because of the crisis. The report found that sea-level rise, heat, and dearth are all likely to increase in the country the more the Earth warms.
Read Also: Biden Calls on Allies to Combat Climate and COVID-19
