Climate change biggest global concern of Australians, report says

Climate change is the biggest global concern for two thirds of Australians, a new report shows.

The report, released by Caritas Australia, says climate change is well ahead of other global concerns despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and the devastating impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 17 percent of
Australians cited conflict as their biggest global concern with 10 per cent saying health crises was at the top of their list.

The research also found that nine in ten Australians believe the biggest polluters should pay for the impacts of climate change.

Kirsty Robertson, Caritas Australia’s CEO, said: “Australians clearly believe that big polluting nations need to pay for the loss and damage inflicted on those nations which bear the brunt of climate change. These countries, like our neighbours across the Pacific, are the least responsible for climate change but the most heavily impacted. Australians stand against this climate injustice.”

This sentiment is backed by the fact that almost all Australians (95%) feel it’s important that Australia is a good partner and neighbour to other Pacific countries.

“Our Pacific neighbours’ homes and ways of life are being swept away by rising sea levels and destroyed by cyclones and king tides. Our partners are telling us that they are
picking up the bones of their ancestors like shells on the beach, as burial grounds are being washed away by rising tides,” Ms Robertson said.

Small island nations in the Pacific have contributed only 0.5 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions yet are struggling to pay for the increased frequency and severity of climate change impacts.
Caritas Australia’s research found that while around half the population feels that the Albanese government is doing a better job on climate change than the Morrison government (47%), three-quarters of Australians feel the government should be doing more to mitigate climate change (75%).

“This is better than the Morrison Government, but we want to see more...we’re calling on the Australian Government, and indeed the world, to ensure that the communities living on the frontlines of climate change do not need to pay for the excesses of the big polluters,” said Ms Robertson.

A new report, “Twin clouds on the horizon”, by Caritas Oceania and Jubilee Australia Research Centre shows that the Pacific region is facing a perfect storm of climate change induced disasters and skyrocketing debt burdens. The report calls for
international governments, including the Australian Government, to take the lead on climate debt in the Pacific through restructuring debt, improving climate finance and funding the Pacific Resilience Facility.
“We’re taking this report to COP27, where we will be able to ensure that the Pacific region remains a focus for global climate change talks,”  Ms Robertson said.

“Our partners in the Pacific are telling us that they are surrounded by water, but there is not enough to drink. They have contaminated ground water from rising sea levels, and they are forced to shore up their seawalls with old tyres. The Pacific region is calling on big wealthy polluters to finally pick up the bill for their climate debts.