World Vision Australia, Oxfam Australia, Plan International Australia and Save the Children Australia are together calling on our political leaders to end “debate” about climate change and take necessary action to protect the world’s most vulnerable.
The aid groups have labelled the escalating climate crisis a human rights issue and want to see the federal government immediately set more ambitious emission reduction targets, to keep global temperature rise to within 1.5 degrees.
“The climate crisis has well and truly arrived at our door,” says #WorldVision CEO @ClaireSRogers pic.twitter.com/t9K5FAlLyW
— World Vision Aus News (@WVAnews) January 20, 2020
The call for urgent climate action has been brought to the fore as Australia continues to face its worst bushfire season on record and deal with the ongoing, devastating fallout.
The aid groups have said the “climate emergency has well and truly arrived at home.”
Dozens of lives, thousands of homes and more than a billion animals have been lost, while fires continue to rage and millions of Australians are breathing in hazardous air.
The aid alliance has issued several, urgent demands of the federal government, including:
- Stronger political leadership on climate action, especially during the transition to a low-emissions global economy.
- Fund a just transition to a zero carbon future, creating abundant job opportunities in a clean economy
- Build the capacity of vulnerable communities, in Australia and overseas, so they are able to deal with the ravages of climate change
- Sign the Intergovernmental Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action, to acknowledge that children face heightened and specific risks due to climate change.
“Everyday, our aid workers see the very real and devastating impact of climate change on the world’s most vulnerable people,” the aid alliance said in a joint statement. “This includes children, who have contributed least to the crisis but are already bearing the brunt of its impacts.”
“Children born today will live on a planet that is significantly more hostile if we fail to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees,” the aid alliance says.
“The time for debate about climate change is over, it is now time for action. We cannot afford to waste any more time.”
Strong words from four major aid agencies this morning as we join forces on the #ClimateCrisis@PlanAustralia @WorldVisionAus @OxfamAustralia @savechildrenaus pic.twitter.com/kwrXTMvRak
— Plan International Australia (@PlanAustralia) January 20, 2020
“We owe it to current and future generations to do everything we can to step up and be leaders of meaningful climate action.”
“We cannot afford to waste anymore time.”