Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Reid for his question, because he has had a long and continuing interest in climate change policy. Climate scientists are telling governments all around the world that carbon pollution is contributing to climate change. The scientific advisor to the government’s Multi-Party Climate Change Committee, the well-recognised scientist, Professor Will Steffen of the ANU, has indicated to the committee that there is 100 per cent certainty that temperatures are increasing globally and that there is 95 per cent certainty that human activity through carbon emissions is contributing to those increased temperatures. Of course, 2010 was the equal warmest year on record and the period 2000-10 was the warmest decade on record. The scientific evidence is very clear—and it is advice that it has been provided to all governments internationally. But not everyone in this House seems to agree. Eighteen months ago the Leader of the Opposition said: ‘We can’t conclusively say whether man-made carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to climate change.’

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