When we look at Australia's contribution to climate change,
we're often not seeing the whole picture.
And if we don't know what's really going on,
then we won't know how to address it.
Hi, I'm Jeremy Moss.
I'm a philosopher with a focus on climate justice.
In this episode of 10 Minute Genius,
I'm going to paint the whole picture of
Australia's climate problem
and what a just climate solution looks like.
Let's start with the part of this picture
we usually see.
The story of climate change
has become really familiar.
Greenhouse gases like
carbon dioxide and methane
go into the atmosphere and trap heat.
Warming the planet and messing with our
climate and weather systems.
Which has huge consequences
for everything from
health to the economy,
to bio-diversity.
So, how much of this is actually caused
by what we do here in Australia?
Australia's direct contribution accounts for about 1.3%
of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.
That may not sound like much, but it means we are some
of the highest per capita emitters in the world.
Higher than people in the USA or China.
Australia's higher per capita direct emissions is
the part of the story we usually hear about.
But Australia's biggest contribution to climate
change is not what we emit directly,
but through our support for exporting fossil
fuels produced right here in Australia.
The greenhouse gas emissions produced
from Australian fossil fuel exports
are almost twice as much again
as our level of domestic emissions.
That's more than ten times
the annual emissions from agriculture.
Shockingly,
all this production is promoted
by governments with public funds.
And if that wasn't enough,
we also have a bad track record
of actively preventing global climate action.
Australia regularly teams up with Russia
and Saudi Arabia
to water down global climate agreements.
This doesn't paint a pretty picture of the part we play
in the global climate problem,
let alone any solutions.
But the uglier the picture,
the more closely we should look at it.
Instead of simply focusing on local emissions
from tailpipes and smokestacks,
we should look at all the contributions,
exports,
subsidies,
and crucially,
the lobbying that lead to those emissions.
Doing so means Australia is far more responsible
for climate change than we thought.
So, why does this make Australia responsible
and what do we do about it?
Well, greenhouse gas emissions,
whether they come from tailpipes or smokestacks,
are just the endpoint of a long chain of decisions
made in the boardrooms and cabinet rooms of Australia.
Contributions such as exporting,
thwarting global agreements
and subsidising the supply
of fossil fuels
are just as much part
of the equation as direct emissions.
Supplying cheap subsidised fossil fuels to the world
is also a huge contribution to climate change.
Even if those emissions
are not counted in Australia's emissions budget.
Likewise, arguing for slower phaseout of fossil fuels at
global climate negotiations is a harmful contribution,
even though doing so doesn't emit anything directly.
Although it's ugly,
looking at the entire picture of climate change
in this way —
not only identifies what the real contributions are,
it allows us to plan a more just response.
Climate justice is all about imagining
and arguing for the positive future we want.
Not just the scary one we want to avoid.
In fact,
climate action can pay climate dividends.
Thinking about a just response is crucial if we are to avoid
already disadvantaged people both here and overseas,
having to pay more than their fair share
to avoid climate change.
After all,
why should those who have contributed the least
— pay the most?
Identifying the big contributions to climate change
helps us determine
who ought to be first in line
to pay for the climate costs.
The costs of environmental timebomb,
such as cleaning up old and new mines,
can't just be left to the ordinary taxpayer.
It also tells us something about what we have to do.
It's no good having climate friendly policies at home
while selling cheap fossil fuels abroad.
A commitment to net zero emissions
ought also to include a commitment
to net zero contributions.
A focus on climate justice
ensures costs and benefits of climate problems
and solutions are experienced equitably.
For instance,
globally,
the injustice of climate change
is compounded if wealthy countries such as Australia
continue to promote fossil fuels through approving
more mines or greater subsidies for fossil fuels.
We can achieve a global equality dividend if Australia can
pay its fair share and address its real contribution.
Lastly,
correctly identifying and limiting any undue influence
of the fossil fuel industry
will produce a democracy dividend here at home.
Limiting the lobbying and donations
from the fossil fuel companies
that plague the political process
will make democracy all the more robust.
But focusing on all the contributions to climate change
also has big implications for what we ought to do.
It means that it is just as important to focus
on having an impact on the decisions
that lead to bad climate policy
as cutting our own personal emissions.
Taking action to change the national conversation
or change a policy has greater impact
than just reducing your own emissions.
By seeing the full picture of our contributions
and climate dividends.
We cannot only cut our emissions more quickly,
but more fairly, too.
And we can paint a much more positive
and real picture of the world
we want to be part of.