Blogs
The various countries we talked to during the bilateral town hall and the tri-regional had different concerns regarding Climate Change and contributed to carbon emissions in different ways.
New Zealand takes part in a substantial amount of deep sea drilling, accounting for 2.5 billion of New Zealand’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides 11 000 jobs.
The burning of this oil substantially contributes to Climate Change but the New Zealanders were also concerned with the risk of an oil leak on the environment.
In New Zealand the relationship between the Maori people (Indigenous New Zealanders) and the New Zealand government differs from Australia’s relationship to their Indigenous groups, the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, in that a formal treaty was signed between Maori chiefs and the then UK government.
The Philippines was concerned about their mining industry being owned by Chinese companies. They also commented on the desire of Philippines to ‘copy’ American society.
India was concerned with the extraction of oil and resources. Access to clean water was also an issue – the World Bank estimates that 21% of communicable diseases have links to unsafe water and lack of hygiene practices. 163 million people in India lack access to safe water and a further 210 million lack access to adequate sanitation.
Australia has a keen interest in keeping the forest of developing nations from being destroyed and reducing the emissions that are generated because of this. Australia participates in key areas around its region where logging and deforestation occurs. The International community in Bali agreed to the International Forest Carbon Initiative (IFCI), which is an initiative to reduce carbon emissions and forest degradation. Australia under this initiative, has partnered with Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to help restore and prevent forest degradation and carbon emissions caused by deforestation. In Australia, it is illegal to support logging that isn’t sustainable, for example, clearing entire forests, and promotes the use of plantations dedicated to growing particular trees while managing already existing forests in Australia or from countries it imports it from.
Australian organisations work towards climate change through many factors. REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) could help support some of these organisations, with the company also learning from them. Even though Adani is not directly linked to deforestation, the company will be clearing away vegetation for the mine. The mine however conflicts many Indigenous Australians’ land areas, and this destruction in vegetation may be detrimental to their sacred beliefs or way of living. Since many protestors from the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners have been trying to apply for Native Title to the land and dismissed by the court, if they partnered with REDD+, they may be able to do something about the Adani mine. The port which Adani is building in conjunction with the mine would need land clearing as well, with mangrove tress being cleared to make room for the port. REDD+ could learn from organisations such as the North Queensland Conservation Council who are taking measures to preserve the environment, especially at the Abbot Point Port.
In Conjunction with Kris, Rayan and Jake.
Websites cited:
http://redd.unfccc.int/submissions.html?country=aus
http://www.agriculture.gov.au/forestry/policies
http://www.agriculture.gov.au/forestry/policies/illegal-logging
