Both leaders mentioned climate change a number of times in the debate last night, but Professor David Karoly says neither was willing to commit to policy action which is key to recognising the urgency of climate change: setting a price on carbon dioxide emissions.

“Australia is the developed country most at risk from the adverse impacts of climate change and we are already seeing those impacts. Australians are the highest individual contributors to making climate change worse, compared with the citizens of all other developed countries,” he says.

“Delaying action on climate change just makes the problem worse and increases the costs of responding to climate change in the future, both the costs of addressing the adverse impact and the costs of converting to a low carbon economy.”

“There are enormous opportunities that will be unleashed by setting a price on carbon, new green jobs and new low carbon energy industries in rural and regional Australia. Both parties have avoided seizing those opportunities. All Australians will suffer because of their procrastination.”

Professor David Karoly,
School of Earth Sciences,
University of Melbourne