Full-page New York Times brutally criticizes Australia for inaction on climate change
A leading Australian think tank has taken out a full-page ad in the New York Times naming and shaming Australia as a major fossil fuel producer that contributes to catastrophic climate change.
The Australia Institute published the “open letter” in Tuesday’s edition of the prestigious journal and it appeared under the headline: “Australia must accelerate climate action, not climate annihilation.”
In the main text block of the advert, it said Australia would stand up at the UN Climate Ambitions Summit in New York on Wednesday and “tell the world how much action it is taking to tackle climate change “.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong will represent Australia at the summit with an ad contemptuously dismissing her government’s credibility on climate action.
The full-page ad published in the New York Times by the left-wing think tank Australia Institute
“The Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and scientists around the world have made it clear that there is no “There was no room for new gas, coal and oil projects in the global carbon budget,” the announcement read.
“During this “decisive decade” for the climate, more than 100 new coal and gas projects are in development in Australia, according to official data.
“If all of these projects come to fruition, research by the Australia Institute shows they would add an additional 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent to the atmosphere each year, roughly equivalent to emissions of the entire Russian Federation, the fourth largest polluter in the world.”
“Accelerating the pace and scale of climate action means an end to new approvals and subsidies for fossil fuels.
“As the world’s third largest exporter of fossil fuels, Australia has a particular responsibility to stop fueling the increase in global emissions caused by Australian fossil fuel production, both here and abroad.
Polly Hemming, Director of the Australian Institute’s Climate and Energy Program, showed advertising targeting the Albanian government over fossil fuel projects
“We call on the Australian Government to follow the advice of the United Nations, IEA and IPCC and prevent further fossil fuel development in Australia.”
The bottom two-thirds of the page displays the signatures of more than 220 scientists and other environmental experts and activists who support the call.
Signatories include prominent US climate scientists Bill McKibben and Michael Mann, as well as former Australian Greens leader Christine Milne, Australian climate scientist Bill Hare and Nobel Prize-winning Australian immunologist Peter Doherty.
In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), Polly Hemming, director of the Australian Institute’s climate and energy program, showed the newspaper ad with the Manhattan skyline behind her.
“Even though the IEA, UNFCCC and the UN Secretary-General have all declared that new fossil fuel projects are incompatible with keeping global temperatures below 1.5°C, Australia’s new government has already approved four new coal mines and there are 110 other gas and coal mines. in preparation, Ms. Hemming said in a press release.
“If Australia succeeds in its plans to expand fossil fuels, other nations around the world will fail in their efforts to prevent dangerous climate change.”
“Australia is already the world’s third largest exporter of fossil fuels, behind Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong will represent Australia at the UN Climate Ambitions Summit in New York.
“But despite dire warnings from scientists around the world and clear language from the UN Secretary-General, the Australian government is not only approving new fossil fuel projects, it is subsidizing them and fighting in court to make their way easier.”
She also tweeted that Senator Wong would be presenting at the UN summit while “back in Australia, the Environment Minister is in court this week fighting for the right to ignore the link between climate change and fossil fuels when approving coal mines.”
Ms Hemming tweeted an article by Australia Institute researcher Rod Campbell which said Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek would fight in the Federal Court to overturn environmental groups’ challenge to 19 fossil fuel projects .
“Australia’s Environment Minister is in court opposing environmental groups and alongside coal companies, arguing for new coal projects to be approved despite their climate impacts,” Mr Campbell wrote.
“At the same time, Australia’s foreign minister will try to convince the world that Australia takes climate change seriously.
“It would be funny if it wasn’t so bad.”