When Australia announced the target it would be taking to December’s U.N. climate conference in Paris, France — it will present a carbon emissions target of 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 — the overwhelming response was that it wasn’t enough.
“The target is embarrassing because it puts us at the bottom of the pack of all the major developed economies,” Marc Purcell, executive director of the Australian Council for International Development, said. “It says we don’t care enough about the damaging storms, king tides and inundation that climate change is bringing across Southeast Asia.”
On Monday, Caritas Australia, Catholic Earthcare and the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council took their message directly to Parliament House in Canberra. The special event, with a panel representing developing communities, government, nongovernmental organizations and the Roman Catholic Church, urged Australia to do more for neighboring countries fighting against climate change on a daily basis.