Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Young people across my electorate of Corangamite are passionate about climate change. Their enthusiasm and determination for a better future is inspiring, and we certainly need inspiration at a time when our government is doing so little to deliver real and meaningful change on climate action. It's a privilege to hear the voices of so many young people and take part in the Youth Voice in Parliament Week. As the Morrison-Joyce government argue amongst themselves about setting a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, young people across Australia are way out ahead of them.

When Prime Minister Morrison attends the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow at the end of the month, the eyes of young Australians will be on him—young Australians, like Evan Gavins, who are looking to their future; young Australians who are concerned about the environment that they will inherit from our generation. The significance of climate change and how we, as a nation, respond to that challenge is not lost on our young people.

I would like to read you the speech from nine-year-old Evan Gavins, of Anglesea: 'I am a nine-year-old and worried about the world I'm growing up in. We need to stop polluting this world. It is bad for our environment—destroying the atmosphere and making it unhealthy.'

'I think the best way to stop polluting is to do helpful things for our environment. There are loads of things we can do, including making and using renewable energy—such as solar—using electric cars and building up, not across.'

'Renewable energy reduces the use of fossil fuels that create carbon emissions and destroy our natural seas and land. Instead of using fossil fuel cars, we should use electric cars that rely on renewable energy. I think we should build up, not across, so we don't continue to destroy our natural environment. By building up, it means we don't use up farming land and destroy more trees. Trees are important for catching carbon emissions.'

'In conclusion, I strongly believe we should take more action to stop polluting and save our environment now. So please take action now for the people of my electorate.'

It is just amazing that Evan has written this beautiful speech for me. What it shows is that the young people in my electorate do really care. The other day I had other young women come to my office, including a young lady, Eviva Luna Fila, who is in year 7 at Oberon High School. Last Friday she drew a beautiful chalk artwork on the pavement outside my office, as part of the School Strike 4 Climate demonstration. She had a strong message for the Australian government: 'Take action urgently on climate change, or we will experience more extreme weather events—such as droughts, bushfires and floods—in the future and lose even more biodiversity.'

Aviva Luna is just one of many young Australians who are distressed about the planet they will inherit due to the irresponsible actions of the federal government. We must give our young people hope for a cleaner, brighter future and avoid catastrophic climate change. We can only do that by decarbonising our economy and investing heavily in renewable energy to contain temperature rises to less than 1.5 degrees. Unless we act quickly to reduce carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions, global warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius will be exceeded by the 2030s.

The significance of climate change and how we, as a nation, respond to that challenge is not lost on children. I urge the Liberal-National government not to let our youth down, as they have repeatedly done over the last eight years, on climate and the environment.

I'd like to thank the young people of my electorate who have come and stood outside my office. They are the future. I stand with them and desperately urge this federal government to do so much more to ensure that they inherit an environment that they can be proud of.