Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

What I believe is that climate change is affecting us and that climate change is real. I don't disagree with your joke about it as a bogeyman, and I think that scientists have observed patterns of climate that demonstrate that we do have a serious problem. I also believe that no one country can solve it on its own. That has always been my position. That's why Australia has always argued, certainly in the governments in which I have been involved, we for an international agreement which covered all major emitters and in which all countries participated, because no single country can solve it on its own.

So yes, Australia cannot solve climate change by ourselves but, equally, that should not be a reason for us to do nothing. If you don't accept the science, and I understand you don't—I think you are wrong, but I understand you don't—we should do something if only for economic imperatives. We know 84 per cent of the global economy is moving to a 'net zero emissions by 2050' position. If we want our children and grandchildren to be able to thrive in a world where there is a premium for low-carbon goods and services and for clean energy then surely we want our country being able to export and produce those goods and services.