Report Says Australia Faces 56 ‘Nationally Significant Climate Risks’

Wind turbines in Albany, Western Australia, on Feb. 26, 2024. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

A new Australian government report states that there are 56 “nationally significant climate risks facing Australia.”

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water delivered Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment (pdf) together with the Australian Climate Service.

In one “plausible worst-case scenario,” the report warns financial services could be withdrawn from communities in response to extreme events.

“Such a shock in the local financial system may have cascading effects on infrastructure and the built environment (e.g., through house prices), potentially creating vulnerabilities in various communities with further potential flow-on impacts or pressures on other systems such as health and social support and Primary industry and food,” the report appendix outlining risks states (pdf).

Out of 56 risks, it selected 11 that would progress to a “second pass assessment” report to inform potential “adaptation responses.”

These included defence and national security, health and social support, infrastructure, regional and remote communities, natural environment, primary industries and food cross-system governance, supply chains, water security, communities and settlements and economy trade and finance.

The appendix of risks also singles out First Nations communities, who could be at risk because they are “highly dependent” on the natural environment.

“For instance, the provision of food, fibre, water, timber, biodiversity, amenity and medicines. Changes in ecosystem services through changing climate may exacerbate the vulnerability of these communities and adversely impact their lives,” the report states.

Under the defence and national security section, it states more climate-related events could result in “more pressure”  for defence to help the community with disaster response and recovery.

“This may place increased pressures on the Australian Defence Force, and could adversely affect preparedness, readiness and combat effectiveness for Defence’s primary objectives of defending Australia and its national interests,” the assessment says.

“More public focus on immediate and recurring disaster response and recovery at the hyper-local level may lead to a loss of social licence for the Defence apparatus due to competing needs to respond to multiple issues and the lack of resources to do both.”

The authors raise concerns that an “increasing frequency or severity of extremes,” especially coincident or compound events, could mean there are not enough resources available for emergency management services.

“This could further stress emergency management agencies and volunteers who are heavily relied on in disaster response but may not have enough of their own resources to respond to multiple events,” they said.

“A lack of alignment between the most urgent climate risks and governance priorities may adversely impact the effectiveness of adaptation strategies, if critical vulnerabilities remain unaddressed,” they added.

In the health section, the report claims that climate change, as defined by the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has “wide-ranging impacts on health and wellbeing.”

“Risks to health and wellbeing arise from extreme climate events such as bushfires and floods as well as climate-related hazards such as heat and air pollution. Climate change can also change communicable disease vectors resulting in changes in exposure to disease or in the emergence of novel diseases,” the report states.

Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister said the first phase of the National Climate Risk Assessment was a key milestone on the path to a “comprehensive national adaptation response.”

“We will continue to do everything we can to reduce our emissions and limit the impact of climate change. However we must also take steps to protect Australia’s economy, society and natural environment from the changes scientists tell are already locked in,” she said.

The climate projections are based on a global warming level of 1.5 and 2 degrees above the pre-industrial years (1850-1900) in the 2050 time horizon and 2 and 3 degrees warmer in the 2090 time horizon.

This comes after the European Environment Agency released 32-page climate risk report on March 11.

Global Boiling ‘Mass Delusion’: Libertarian Party MP

However, not all politicians in Australia are sold on the risks of climate change as defined by the United Nations and associated scientists. Libertarian MP John Ruddick, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, claimed “global boiling is a mass delusion” in November.

Mr. Ruddick has adopted the U.N. term global boiling to refer to climate change.

He said told the parliament global boiling was the “dream of the central planners” because it gave them “an excuse to amass power over all of us.

“Global boiling is a mass delusion. Mankind has been subject to many in the past,” he said (pdf).

“Global warming is more than a humorous delusion. It is the reason why this nation and most of the West have barely had any economic growth for 15 years. Along with COVID, it is why we are suffering inflation.

“We are embarking on ripping down a cheap and highly efficient energy supply that has powered our success and replacing it with an extremely expensive and highly dubious replacement: the renewables—which should be known as the unreliables.”