Your readers may be aware of the National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) report that was released by the federal government mid-September. It is important to remind ourselves of the impact of climate change on agriculture, given the importance of farming to the region.
With regard to cropping, it says climate change is already significantly impacting this sector. In southern Australia, it says, ‘changes in rainfall patterns and higher evapotranspiration rates are leading to lower soil moisture, which in turn reduces crop productivity.
Extreme heat events further exacerbate these challenges, stressing crops and decreasing yields.’
As for the livestock sector, the NCRA report says it too is facing significant challenges from climate change, particularly due to changes in temperature and rainfall.
‘Heat stress in cattle and sheep, driven by increasing temperatures and more frequent hot spells, is likely to reduce productivity and negatively affect animal welfare. Additionally, the availability of feed is impacted by these climatic changes, further stressing livestock operations.’
And farming communities, the report says, are at the frontline of climate change impacts. ‘Water security is a major concern, with increased competition for water having the potential to impact agricultural productivity, community livelihoods, and effective response to extreme hazard events. Increasing heat will make it harder for outdoor workers.’
It’s mostly bad news, apart from a decrease in frost days that will benefit some crops. Nevertheless, the correct response to this report is to pull out all stops to mitigate climate change, even though farmers have said they are already adopting strategies to adapt to changing conditions.
It was disappointing then that, within days, the government announced its 2035 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, namely, 62-70 per cent reduction on 2005 levels.
Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, said they were “ambitious and achievable”. Achievable, yes, but certainly not ambitious.
The science said an absolute minimum of 75% while others, justifiably keen to minimise global warming, argued that we should have net zero as the target for 2035.
It was doubly disappointing that, also in the month of September, the Federal Environment Minister, Murray Watt, gave the green light to the North West Shelf extension project.
The mining of gas off the north west coast of Western Australia will now continue until 2070. The project will now add up to 6.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime.
If all the gas is exported, it will not unduly affect Australia's ability to meet its climate commitments which are based on domestic emissions, but will add immeasurably to global carbon pollution and, in turn, global warming.
Australia is hoping to host the COP31 climate talks next year. Its weak 2035 target and the NW Shelf extension, however, may well make this year’s COP30 decide to give it to Türkiye instead. That would be a loss for Australia.
Jenny Goldie
Climate Action Monaro president
