CLIMATE and weather have been in the forefront of the minds of Coffs Coast residents after the recent storms.

It is of concern to many that reports keep being released warning of the effects of climate change and global warming.

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The Climate Council’s report, released last week, claims that Australia is the worst climate performer out of all developed countries.

The report ‘From Paris to Glasgow: A world on the move’ has assessed both Australia’s track record on climate and its commitments for the future against its international peers and found that Australia is the worst performing when it comes to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and moving beyond fossil fuels.

The key report findings are that there remains a major shortfall between what’s being promised and the pace of action required and that emissions in the sectors that matter most, such as electricity and transport, have increased in Australia.

The report says that climate change is now a strategic priority for the world’s major powers including the UK, EU and China, as they race to gain advantage in the global energy transition and that a commitment and plan for rapidly cutting Australia’s emissions this decade will unlock investment and create new jobs in renewable energy and clean industries, particularly in regional areas.

The authors write that Australia has the potential to grow new export industries that far exceed the value of our current fossil fuel exports because it has the renewable energy resources and mineral reserves needed to drive the global energy transition.

As well, data from an independent research and reporting organisation, Climate Central, show that Coffs Harbour Airport and Raleigh and Mylestom, amongst other areas, will be inundated by rising sea levels when temperatures rise by the minimum predicted 1.5°C and much larger areas of the Coffs Coast will be underwater if a 3°C rise occurs.

Another organisation, the Climate Accountability Institute, in its ‘Carbon Majors Report’, found that 71% of human carbon dioxide emissions came from just 100 global companies, mainly fossil fuel producers.

These reports, along with many others have implications in the foreseeable future for Coffs Coast residents.

By Andrew VIVIAN