Guest essay by Eric Worrall
The EU and US will punish Australia with carbon sanctions if we don’t play their climate game, according to a group of diplomats. But the weak reaction to Russia shows that this is an empty hoax.
Australia’s climate change action and why our national security and future prosperity rest on it
By Janaline Oh
April 18, 2022 – 5:30amAustralia’s future prosperity and national security will depend on raising the game on climate action. More than 100 former Australian ambassadors, high commissioners, trade commissioners, diplomats and development experts issued a climate-focused foreign policy in December 2021, calling on the government to take immediate steps. ambitious, immediate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to restore Australia’s international standing on the issue.
Diplomats for Climate Action Recently signed a joint letter, with four other specialist groups, asking the incoming prime minister to make climate action a priority for the government through a national campaign.
Why will we do this? A diplomat’s job is to represent governments overseas, to understand our international partners and to advise the Australian government on how best to prosecute its policies. We usually don’t consider domestic policy debates.
But climate change is not a domestic problem. This is a global issue that poses a significant threat to Australia’s national security and future economic prosperity. We have seen many of the effects of climate change in recent years, with droughts, the recent brutal Black Summer and bushfires of Western Australia, and catastrophic flooding in Queensland and NSW.
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In fact, Australia can benefit from our cheap and abundant renewable energy potential to create a sustainable, high-yield export economy. Australia’s heavy reliance on exports of raw goods has led to a heavy reliance on a single market: Australia sends more products by value to China than the next six largest export destinations.
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The European Union and the United States are now preparing to introduce a carbon border adjustment tax – effectively a carbon price on goods imported from countries that have not taken effective measures against climate change. Queen. We will apply a carbon price on Australian goods, but it will not benefit Australians.
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Open letter from diplomats (link);
Given the weak and pathetic response of the EU leaders to Russia, the EU’s complete dependence on resource imports, My challenge to EU leaders on a carbon border tax is – get it in.
Currently, abundant shipments of Australian natural gas are being delivered to EU ports. There are so many other customers who want to get that gas, the whole world is currently short of capacity. If EU leaders don’t want to use our fossil fuels, let us know so we can divert our ships elsewhere.
As for the US, even if Biden does manage to impose a carbon border tax on Australia that raises prices for US consumers, I don’t think we’ll have to wait long until they’re repealed.
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