Climate Change

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Senator Larissa Waters (Qld), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts that warming of 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels will see the death of 100 per cent of coral reefs globally, and that warming of 1.5°C will see 90 per cent of coral reefs die,

(ii) that the IPCC forecasts that warming is likely to reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels between 2030 and 2052 if it continues at the current trajectory,

(iii) the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report, released on 18 September 2018, Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage Coral Reefs: Update to the First Global Scientific Assessment, which confirms that remaining within 1.5°C climate target is critical for survival of World Heritage-listed coral reefs,

(iv) the statement by the Chair of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Board during the Brisbane hearing of the inquiry into the Great Barrier Reef 2050 Partnership Program, that "many reefs around the world are classified as in danger, regardless of whether UNESCO has them listed", and

(v) that 64 000 people rely on jobs supported by the Great Barrier Reef; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

(i) ban corporate donations to political parties from the fossil fuel industry, an industry which financially benefits from this Government's lack of action on climate change,

(ii) get a climate policy that limits global warming to 1 degrees to protect the Great Barrier Reef and Australians from extreme weather events, and

(iii) revoke all federal approvals for the Adani Carmichael mine, and not approve any new coal in Australia.