Everything, everywhere, all at once: Australia’s survival in a warmer world will be a mammoth multi-tasking effort.
Much of the climate conversation in Australia to date has centred on actions to limit global warming, recognizing that each increment of warming contributes to worsening climate extremes.
In a recently released book, Living Hot: Surviving and Thriving on a Heating Planet, authors Clive Hamilton and George Wilkenfeld argue while emissions reduction should continue, Australia should refocus its efforts on adaptation (building resilience to the effects of climate change).
Certainly, Australia cannot ignore adaptation. E xtreme weather, driven by climate change, repeatedly batters much of the country and some areas get little reprieve between natural disasters.
However, Australia’s emissions-reduction efforts must continue in haste, at large scale. Real change is possible. It will require everything, everywhere, all at once.
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Note: Australia is bidding to host the 2026 United Nations climate conference, COP31, in partnership with our Pacific neighbours.