Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Climate change is real. I think that is the starting point of any of these debates. It is real and it is happening today; it is happening now. We know for a fact it is because of human emissions and activity. It has been well documented, and there is a vast body of science supporting it. Scientists all around the world from every major institution and every reputable and credible organisation all agree. A few people have got a slightly different view, and that is their right.

In the vast body of work that has been done there is no argument: they agree on climate change. They agree on the impact. They agree on the quantum and they also agree that something needs to be done. I have a strong view—and as the Prime Minister said—while Australia should not lead the world; we certainly should not be left behind. I think it is important to take note of this in the debate that is taking place in this House. Climate scientists are telling us that carbon pollution is causing climate change, and this is having an enormous impact on the world’s climate.

Australia needs to act. We need to act and we need to do it now. We have talked about this issue for many years. There is no better time than the present to make change. We know that, by acting on climate change, we are doing the right thing. We are not just doing the right thing according to some esoteric principle; we are doing the right economic thing for us. If there is any country in the world that will have a greater impact on it from climate change, rising sea levels and a range of other climate impacts, it will be Australia.

The Intergenerational report, for example, highlights that, without action on climate change, Australia’s GDP will fall by around eight per cent by 2100. If people today looked 20 years into the future, not too far away, we could look back and say that this almost seems like small bananas in terms of the big picture as to where Australia will be in two decades time. We need to make certain that we are part of the global carbon economy and not left behind as some sort of pariah.

It is about creating jobs for the future. It is about setting ourselves up for long-term prosperity. In all of those talks that we have in this place about mining, energy and resources, we always talk about the wasted years when we could have done more. Now is the time when we can do more, achieve more, plan for the future and make sure that we have jobs for the future in this country. Reducing our carbon pollution is a significant part of that. It is also a significant challenge. No-one argues that; no-one debates that. Given that Australia has a very carbon based economy with more than 80 per cent of our electricity generated through coal fired sources, we need to start turning that around. We need to provide more than what we are currently doing. You can only do that through economic incentive. In the end goodwill and good talk will only take us so far. There are only two ways through economic incentive: one is to provide an incentive not to pollute—in other words charge a price on carbon—

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