Bushfires and Climate Change

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:44): Recently, I spoke to a motion expressing the chamber's deep regret and sorrow for the tragedies that have occurred as a result of the bushfires in South Australia so far this summer. The communities touched by the bushfires have suffered enormously and the economic, emotional and environmental impacts will continue for some time to come. This nationwide bushfire crisis has burned over 10 million hectares of land and, as we all know, has covered large parts of Australia in toxic smoke. This toxic smoke has travelled around the globe, impacting the air quality in places such as New Zealand and South America.

Australia's megafires are expected to contribute to up to 2 per cent of what scientists forecast will be one of the largest annual increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide on record. Indeed, the United Kingdom's national meteorological office, known as the British Met Office, forecasts that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide will peak at more than 417 parts per million in May and average at 414.2 parts per million for the year 2020. This is a 2.74 part per million increase above the 2019 average.

I make this point because various science agencies have associated concentrations of more than 450 parts per million with an average temperature rise of 2⁰ Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This is the marker whereby scientists believe the effects of global warming may become irreversible.

Emissions from bushfires are usually considered to be climate neutral in terms of carbon accounting, based on the assumption that forest regrowth absorbs a similar amount of carbon dioxide as was released. However, in this instance, scientists have also warned this assumption is optimistic as many burned areas may never recover to their pre-fire state.

In Australia a 2⁰ Celsius rise in temperature is likely to lead to between 20 and 30 extra days of very high fire risk in Australia each year. The British Met Office explained their worldwide CO₂ forecast via an accompanying statement, citing that the Australian bushfires were highlighted as contributing to an unusually high forecasted annual rise.

What is most concerning, particularly for Australians, is that human-induced climate change and local weather patterns, including hot, dry weather and drought, plays a role in the severity of bushfires, which in turn increases emissions. Furthermore, as emissions increase—I cannot hear myself talk, Mr President, with people talking in front of me. So I would like you to protect me while I am giving a speech.

The PRESIDENT: The honourable Leader of the Opposition and the Hon. Mr Hanson, if you are going to have a chat, can you please move to the back of the chamber. Thank you.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Thank you for your protection, Mr President. What is most concerning, particularly for Australians, is that human-induced climate change and local weather patterns, including hot, dry weather and drought, plays a role in the severity of bushfires, which in turn increases emissions. Furthermore, as emissions increase and the global temperature rises, conditions are created that are even worse for future fire seasons.

Climate change is real; I think most rational people accept this. Climate change must be accepted as a threat to national security, our own security and that of our children. There is a palpable sense of frustration from people of varied backgrounds—military, science, politics, economics, health and agriculture—who are working hard in their respective areas and are seeing the everyday effects of the changed climate; they are doing what they can, but they want to real see action at a national level.

In recent weeks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has shifted his well-worn vernacular on climate change ever so slightly to say that the Coalition is acting on emissions and meeting its targets. The Prime Minister says that carbon emissions are coming down, but are they? The short answer is no. Emissions reduction stopped under the Coalition in 2014 around the time that the carbon price scheme was repealed. Furthermore, Scott Morrison and the Coalition largely rely on carryover credits to meet their international targets for emissions reduction, which goes against the spirit of taking decisive action on climate change.

Carryover credits refers to an accounting measure, where a country can count a historical emissions reduction that exceeded a past international target.