Albanese prioritises US climate alliance

The Opposition Leader will push for an ambitious reshaping of the ANZUS relationship amid unprecedented geostrategic competition in the Indo-Pacific region.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Anthony Albanese will make climate change a “hallmark” of the US-Australia alliance if he wins the next election and push for an ambitious reshaping of the ANZUS relationship amid unprecedented geostrategic competition in the Indo-Pacific region.

With US President Joe Biden making climate change action a priority for his administration, the Opposition Leader said, “We know the risk climate bears on our security”.

“Australia’s own action on climate change will shape whether our interests prosper in partnership with our neighbours and our US ally,” Mr Albanese, writing in The Australian, said. “On coming to office, I will make comprehensive US-Australia co-operation on climate change a hallmark of our alliance.

“We have vividly seen its (climate change) impact on ADF operations already, whether responding to the 2019/2020 bushfire crisis or disaster assistance missions such as Operation Fiji Assist. We also know it will have major impacts in our region, destroying hard won development gains and increasing fragility.”

Labor, which has adopted a net-zero emissions by 2050 election policy, is ramping up pressure on Scott Morrison ahead of the UN climate change conference in Glasgow. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Mr Biden have both urged the Morrison government to take stronger action in driving down emissions.

Mr Albanese said the modern US-Australia alliance must also prioritise the global rules-based order and defence posture in the Indo-Pacific.

“Looking forward, the 2020 strategic update warned of the rapidly changing circumstances in our region and stressed that a ten-year warning time was no longer an appropriate basis for defence planning,” he said.

“This means we can no longer assume Australia will have time to adjust military capability and preparedness gradually in response to emerging challenges. This, alongside the US’ current global force posture review, means it is time for Australia too to have a closer look at our own posture to ensure that it is fit for the times.”

Mr Albanese said it “is time for ambitious action”.

Ahead of Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne meeting their counterparts in Washington this week, Mr Albanese said it was time to “look forward (to) how the Australia-US alliance will serve our futures in an increasingly challenging world”.