People and nature rely on a safe climate. We know that to continue to extract and burn fossil fuels and clear carbon-rich forests at the current rate will lead to catastrophic climate change. Australia is one of the world’s largest coal exporters and is positioning itself to become the largest global exporter of fossil fuels. There are large-scale coal, gas and oil projects proposed from one end of the country to the other. If all of this coal, oil and gas is exploited, Australia has potential fossil fuel resources that could chew up as much as one-half of the global emissions budget.
In December 2015, progress was made at the Paris Climate talks. We made an international agreement that we must at least limit warming to 2℃, but should be aiming for 1.5℃ to keep the Pacific Islands habitable, the Great Barrier Reef flourishing, and give our children a safe climate future. Our Climate Action campaign aims to keep as great a volume of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) in the ground as possible, limiting Australia’s contribution to catastrophic climate change.
What we’re doing about it
We’re running a series of strategically pivotal campaigns that aim to keep fossil fuels in the ground and maximise the amount of carbon stored in natural landscapes. We also aim to stop tree clearing and the greenhouse emissions released from this destruction, while at the same time encouraging reforestation across the country to soak up carbon and restore damaged land and wildlife habitat.
– The Pilliga forest is an important recharge zone for the Great Artesian Basin – it’s the lifeblood of the east coast’s largest intact eucalypt forest and the rural communities that live in North West New South Wales. Gas giant Santos is trying to turn this beautiful area into a coal seam gas field. Our campaign will prevent the development of the Narrabri Gas Project.
– The Great Australian Bight is a nursery and calving area for southern right whales, but beneath the rough and wild waters is a potentially colossal fossil fuel basin. Just five years on from the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP tried to get approval for four exploratory wells – but we were able to stop it. Now, Chevron and Santos are the next in line. Oil drilling projects are bad for nature and it will make it nearly impossible to limit global warming by 1.5℃ if the oil is extracted and burnt.
– The Kimberley is one of the world’s last great wild places. We’re fighting to keep shale gas fracking, coal and oil development out of the region. Working closely with the local community, we have already been successful in halting the spread of the industry, with one key player – Buru Energy – remaining.
– Nature as a climate solution: Land clearing and deforestation not only impact greatly on the native and endangered species that live in impacted areas but contribute dramatically to climate change. We see protecting forests and reforestation as part of the solution to fighting climate change.
We’re also a member of the Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) and are working on multiple movement-wide strategies to help shift the climate debate and climate policy in Australia. This includes aligning our communications work, sharing skills and training in community organising, and working to shift the centre of Australian politics towards climate action – See more at: https://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/act-climate#sthash.k6EkOK2m.dpuf