National Oration – Climate change looks grim but we have many of the solutions.

The existing and projected impacts of climate change on Australia’s human and natural systems are now well established to be crucial in determining our collective future (e.g. see the National Climate Risk Assessment or the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report).

While the risks of climate change, and actions to lower that risk, sometimes appear to pose an insurmountable barrier, it is increasingly clear that the costs of not responding to this complex challenge far outweigh the costs of action in terms of both emission-reduction and adaptation.

In this presentation, Professor Mark Howden AC FTSE FAA will briefly lay out the grim reality of the current trajectory of climate change impacts for Australia before delving into the solutions. For example, there are many examples of solutions that are already making a difference (e.g. the ACT has already reached its renewable electricity goal, and a third of our new vehicle fleet are now EVs). Similarly, there are many technological solutions for better adaptation, such as better design and materials in our built infrastructure. Often, many of these solutions are understood and even demonstrated, but coordinated progress is lacking in their implementation and operation. The increased role of ATSE in an effective national climate response will be addressed briefly.

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