MOSS Team Promotes Action

Australia is still dragging its heels with poor targets, a divided opposition, and gaping lack of political will to take responsibility for its horrific emissions per capita, says Anne Maree Huxley, CEO of Models of Success and Sustainability (MOSS), who is taking a delegation of 25 business, government, academic and community leaders to Copenhagen.

Here’s the message from Anne Maree Huxley in the final edition of MOSS News Views and Events for 2009:

With less than a week to go before the historic UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP 15), Australia is still dragging its heels with poor targets, a divided opposition, and gaping lack of political will to take responsibility for its horrific emissions per capita.

A successful outcome in Copenhagen requires ambitious emissions targets from industrialized countries, as well as stable and predictable finance to support mitigation and adaptation actions by developing countries – with US$10 billion a year up to 2013 needed to kick-start immediate action.

Success in Copenhagen will put the world on a low-emissions growth path and ensure that poor and vulnerable nations are in a position to adapt to the effects of climate change.

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer says “The stakes are too high for political self-interest. Countries need to work in a spirit of cooperation and compromise”.

According to the Copenhagen Diagnosis: “If we keep on the same trajectory we are set for a 7C temperature increase by 2100. If global warming is to be limited to a maximum of 2?C above pre-industrial values, global emissions need to peak between 2015 and 2020 and then decline rapidly.

“To stabilise climate, a decarbonised global society, with near-zero emissions of CO2 and other long-lived greenhouse gases – needs to be reached well within this century. More specifically, the average annual per-capita emissions will have to shrink to well under 1 metric tonne of CO2 by 2050. This is 80 – 95% below the per-capita emission in developed nations in 2000.”

Germany created 76,000 new jobs in renewable energy (to reach a total of 236,000) in just two years between 2004 and 2006, underpinned by their strong renewable energy laws and complementary Green Skills programs. And although it’s known for car giants like BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, by 2020 Germany is projected to have more jobs in the field of environmental technologies than in its entire car industry.

I wonder if any Australian politicians are listening? I’m usually very proud to be an Australian, but at the moment, I’m ashamed of the political game that’s being played out whilst the rest of the world watches in amazement as our political parties bicker over the science, fight over miniscule targets and ignore the Australian public’s desire to take firm action on climate change and the big polluters.

Australia can lead the way on green technology and jobs – all we lack is the political will to do so. It’s only November and we are already experiencing extreme fire danger due to drought and higher-than-average temperatures.

We’ll soon start to experience more flooding as we move into the monsoon and cyclone season. The potential loss from the impacts of climate change will soon overtake the small cost of taking action. When will our politicians make the hard decisions and do what is right for the majority of Australians.

MOSS will be taking a delegation of 25 Business, Government, Academic and Community Leaders to Copenhagen. We’ll provide a full report back to you early in the new year, when we roll out events around the country to share our learning’s. In the interim, feel free to follow our journey, read the latest news and listen in on some of the political debate and thought leadership in sustainable development at http://unfccc.int/2860.php.

Let’s hope for the sake of future generations we get it right and come to an agreement in Copenhagen that’s fair for all, not just those who can afford it. May there be foresight and wisdom, co-operation and collaboration. This is too big for anyone to try to do it alone – it needs the world to unite. I carry the vision of a positive outcome. I hope you too can keep the hope alive by also holding a positive view, rather than deciding its fate before it’s even begun.

May it be a merry Christmas for us all, with a successful outcome in Copenhagen.

Best regards
Anne-Maree Huxley
Founder and CEO
Models of Success & Sustainability

Source: www.moss.org.au