Responding to reports that Australia has joined more than 103 other countries in ratifying the Paris climate agreement, Oxfam Australia’s climate change advisor Dr Simon Bradshaw said:
“Oxfam welcomes the decision to ratify the agreement and the opportunities it presents for helping vulnerable communities adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, especially countries in the Pacific, which are working hard to address the escalating realities of climate change.
“As an international development agency, Oxfam is seeing the world’s most vulnerable facing greater droughts, floods, hunger and disease – we’re seeing that climate change is the biggest challenge in the fight against hunger and poverty.
“With Australia’s ratification, attention must turn to ramping up the Australian Government’s contribution to tackling climate change and bringing it closer into line with what the Agreement demands.
“While ratification is a vital step and should be celebrated, the Government is yet to do the math on what the Agreement means for Australia and the scale of action we must take if we’re to do our part and help avoid a much more dangerous future.
“Realising the Paris goals, including limiting warming to 1.5C, means reaching zero carbon pollution well before mid-century, transitioning to 100 per cent renewable energy, and substantially increasing support for climate action in developing countries.”
Dr Bradshaw is in Marrakech for the UN climate change negotiations.
For interviews or more information, please contact Renee Thompson on 0418 873 782 or reneet@oxfam.org.au
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