Climate Change In Australia

Climate change has been a long-term global issue that requires collective global action in the form of flexible yet stable policy implementation by the global actors. As a global actor, Australia’s approach and commitments to action on climate change, has been considered as inconsistent and lacking in direction (Talberg, Hui & Loynes, 2013). Nevertheless Australia’s climate reputation has not always been a negative one, in the early 1990’s Australia’s reputation was even seen as pro-environmental when the labor government “appointed an Ambassador for the environment, sent experts to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), passed the Ozone Protection Act 1989 and committed Australia to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions at 1988 …show more content…
In order to understand Australia’s approach towards climate change, this essay will discuss the main influencing factors on Australia’s climate policy. It will begin with a theoretical approach, outlining the views of realists to explain Australia’s lack in action on climate change, which will mainly focus on the idea that in order to maximize relative gains, cooperation is difficult. The essay will then go on to discuss the economic implications that have been a significant barrier for action on climate change, seeing as Australia’s economy is highly dependant on exports of fossil fuels. Finally, this essay will look at the cultural side, in which global studies have shown that Australia is one of the leading countries in climate change skepticism, while further discussing inconsistent preceding government approaches on the matter by the leading labor and liberal …show more content…
It has been difficult for Australian politicians to enforce an efficient policy on the matter as it entails a direct assault on the modern industrialised economy and therefore states like Australia have incentives to avoid enforcement. It is furthermore irrational for Australia to act on climate change, without cooperation from the great emitters as Australia’s efforts will have no effect on the global total, thus any action on climate change by Australia will simply cause damage to the country. The issue has become more complicated with the high degree of climate change denial that is embedded within Australian culture and is encouraged by Australian leaders. It is therefore difficult to solve the issue and come to a collective agreement when competing national interests divide the international community, in which the problem will only be resolved when states identify their own national interest with a healthy global