Climate Change

The same number of senators voted for and against a motion introduced by Tasmanian Senator Anne Urquhart (Labor), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) climate change is a significant threat to our economy, natural environment, farming communities and national security,

(ii) Australia's annual emissions have been rising in recent years,

(iii) as a global problem, the solution to climate change requires concerted international cooperation to limit the production of greenhouse gasses,

(iv) as the only global agreement designed to address climate change, the Paris accords must play a central role in addressing climate change,

(v) the Paris accords require signatory countries to deliver actions consistent with keeping the global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1 degrees celsius,

(vi) based on the latest scientific advice, the world is currently on track for warming of above 3 degrees, and efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions need to be strengthened to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts, and

(vii) as a result of the threat posed by climate change, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Portugal, Argentina and the Republic of Ireland have declared a climate emergency; and

(b) affirms that:

(i) Australia remains committed to delivering on its obligations under the Paris accords,

(ii) failing to meet the goals of the Paris accords would have unprecedented and devastating environmental, economic, societal and health impacts for Australia, and

(iii) the threat posed by climate change on the future prosperity and security of Australia and the globe constitutes a climate change emergency.