In university, I studied the science of climate change. So when I first started coming to the UN, I thought I would be well positioned to follow intergovernmental climate negotiations. Unfortunately I soon learned that climate science struggles to get much of a look in at this place.

Australia’s negotiators courtesy of iisd

Negotiators spend much too much time analyzing the costs and benefits of political maneuvers that they have barely any space left in their brief cases for the latest scientific journal.

But I thought I would put science back on the map here in Doha. So I tracked down some of the world’s foremost exerts on international climate change policy, Dr. Michiel Schaeffer and Marion Vieweg-Mersmann from Climate Analytics.

Together, Michiel and Marion highlight that Australia’s current emissions reduction targets are far too low and put us on track to far exceed 1.5 or even 2 degrees warming. In fact, Michiel quotes Australia’s own governmental analysis to highlight that the Australian government is fully aware that our current emissions reduction levels put us on track for dangerously harmful climate change. Considering the human health and socio-economic impacts of rising sea levels, increases in drought, bush fires, extremely hot days and floods, this revelation alludes to the fact that the Australian government are willingly putting Australians at risk.

Marion adds to this analysis by highlighting that regardless of the political rhetoric coming from government ministers, our current efforts to confront climate change don’t even match up to the efforts from many developing countries. Specifically, Marion highlights the emission reduction efforts of Brazil and South Africa which far exceed our own. Both of these countries have similarly export-oriented economies like Australia. However, Brazil and South Africa, are also seeking to rapidly lift millions of their own citizens out of poverty.

While these countries find the capacity to exceed our own emissions reductions efforts, I guess it’s not surprising that Australia has been highlighted as one of the key parties holding up the negotiations here in Doha.

 

 

“#Climate Political Theatre”

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