Farmers demand government accountability for children

By SHANNON BEATTIE

Climate conscious farmers in Western Australia believe the Federal government should have to consider the impact of their decisions future generations, and have written a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications stating just that.

The submission was made by AgZero2030 chairman Simon Wallwork regarding the Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Climate Equity) Bill 2023, with the group urging the government treat the bill as a high priority.

According to the submission, it is unacceptable that every new or extended fossil fuel project that the government enables contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions that are worsening global warming.

Mr Wallwork said many members of AgZero2030 are parents and grandparents who aspire to leave a safe, beautiful, and biodiverse environment for their families and future generations.

“We have personally experienced climate disasters that were exacerbated by global warming primarily caused by fossil fuel emissions,” Mr Wallwork said.

“Our children, who are already fearful of current climate disasters, are terrified at the prospect of a future with even more frequent and severe climate disasters, and they feel betrayed by the older generations who are failing to protect them.

“We believe this Bill presents an opportunity for Australians to collectively express and demonstrate their care for our children and their climate future.”

• Protesters at a climate strike held in Perth.

Ultimately, AgZero supports the Bill to create a new duty for decision-makers to consider the physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual health and wellbeing of current and future children in Australia when they are making decisions that could worsen the climate crisis.

The submission also requested that the Bill to at least mention past emissions already in the atmosphere that have caused global warming so far, as well as the difference between absolute emissions reductions and net emissions reductions.

“Once global warming is halted, further drawdown capacity and efforts will be required to remove legacy emissions from the atmosphere to reverse global warming,” Mr Wallwork said.

“Removing legacy emissions is a difficult, long-term task that should be started sooner rather than later for reasons of intergenerational equity. Stopping global warming is not enough.”

AgZero2030 believes that the Bill fills a significant gap in Australian law and urges the government to support it.

If you also align with this Bill, we invite you to sign the petition started by Independent Senator David Pocock.

• To read AgZero2030's submission in its entirety, click HERE.