Nick Rowley, advisor on environmental issues for then UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair and former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr, told delegates that climate change presents a problem of a whole new scale.
“There has never before been a bigger problem faced by humanity,” Nick Rowley said. “This problem is global in its causes and global in its effects. It is a problem with no boundaries and it is not going away. It is a hard problem with no easy solutions but we can’t afford to get this wrong.”
He said that there is significant uncertainty concerning the future effects of climate change, particularly extreme weather events, but emissions increase over the past 200 years resulting in global warming of one degree is scientific fact.
“So how are we travelling at present?” he asked. “The predictions are for a four degree increase by the end of this century if urgent actions are not taken.”
Nick Rowley said climate change is now very much mainstream. He said that Time magazine has featured this issue on its front cover eight times in the past two years.
“In Australia 80 per cent of people now believe that climate change is a human induced problem,” he said. “We have come along way in relation to attitudes and awareness but still have a long was to go in regard to changed behaviour. We need a global treaty setting targets.
“Over the last 200 years economic growth has been driven by energy growth – we need to decarbonise energy growth.
“The public must be continually engaged on this problem to keep finding new ways to address this issue. Reinforce to them that this problem is ongoing and is not going to go away”
He said that the 1990 Rio Earth Summit and Local Agenda 21 actions initiated since then, clearly demonstrates the vital role Local Government is playing.
“Councils have taken the lead on sustainability and broader climate policy development through its planning decisions, and transport and energy infrastructure both here and overseas,” he said.
Nick Rowley said that business also is playing a critical role, as is empowering consumers by indicating the carbon footprint of goods to guide them in their buying decisions.
