Our future depends on taking climate change seriously
Nearly 30 former Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs) and senior government vets have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison calling for strong climate policy, in the wake of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
The report unequivocally concludes that there is a narrow path to avoiding climate catastrophe, but only through immediate, deep and sustained emissions reductions.
The group is urging the government to take more responsible emissions reduction cuts to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (known as COP26), being held in November this year.
“As Australians, we are deeply concerned about the future for our children and grandchildren,” Dr Ron Glanville, former CVO Queensland, wrote on behalf of the group.
“Further, as veterinarians we want Australia’s animals, domestic and wild, to have a future environment where they can survive and flourish and where new and emerging diseases are not the norm.
“We have already seen a range of new and devastating diseases emerge in recent decades, and changing ecology of pathogens and disease vectors, all driven by human effects on the planet.”
The letter has three main asks of Mr Morrison and other political leaders:
Net zero by 2035 to avoid a temperature rise of more than 1.5C
Showing leadership by setting aims and objectives on climate and then a path to achieve them
See it as an opportunity for the economy, not a cost.
“The future of our environment, our animals and our grandchildren depends on us all taking this
issue more seriously. We can do this if we put our minds to it and we ask you to urgently lead the way.”
Yesterday, shadow climate change minister Chris Bowen signalled Labor would have a much stronger emissions reduction target on its pathway to net zero.
The group also sent the letter to Labor leader Anthony Albanese, the Nationals, the Greens, Premiers, Chief Ministers and independent federal MPs Helen Haines and Zali Steggall.
“This issue is now too serious for partisan politics. We request that you all work together to heal Australia’s fractured beliefs on climate change and together adopt agreed and responsible emissions reduction targets for Australia,” Dr Glanville said.
Please see the attached letter in full. This is the group’s third open letter to the prime minister.
