Media release - 17 August
2009 - Environment Minister Peter Garrett
and Minister for Climate Change and Water,
Senator Penny Wong,
today released Australia’s Biodiversity
and Climate Change: a strategic assessment
of the vulnerability of Australia’s biodiversity
to climate change.
Opening the International
Congress of Ecology in Brisbane today, Mr
Garrett said the report provided more compelling
evidence of the need to protect Australia’s
natural environment for future generations
— not only from climate change, but from
such other stressors as vegetation clearing
and the impact of invasive species.
Minister Wong said the
report confirmed that Australia’s iconic
natural areas such as the Great Barrier
Reef and the Kakadu Wetlands were particularly
at risk.
The report also shows
Australia has a high proportion of species
— about 85 per cent of terrestrial mammals,
91 per cent of flowering plants and 90 per
cent of reptiles and frogs found only in
Australia that will potentially be at risk
from climate change.
“To protect these iconic
sites and unique species, we need to commit
to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,”
Senator Wong said.
“Australia also needs
to adapt to the changes already occurring
due to climate change.”
Mr Garrett said our
natural environment — our biodiversity and
the ecological services it provides — underpin
our quality of life, our economy and much
of our national identity.
“The Government is already
acting to protect our unique environment.
We are doing this on every front including
by looking at the effectiveness of our national
environmental laws, dramatically expanding
our national reserve system and arming communities
and landowners with the tools they need
to safeguard our natural resources,” Mr
Garrett said.
“However, this report
reinforces what we already know — that our
birds and animals and their native habitat
is threatened by climate change and the
rate of extinction is likely to increase
unless we take action.”
Senator Wong said Australia
would reduce carbon pollution by up to 25
per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 if there
was an international commitment to stabilise
greenhouse gas emissions at 450 parts per
million or lower.
The assessment, and
a video interview with Professor Will Steffen,
who led the independent expert advisory
group, can be found at www.climatechange.gov.au
.
