Bushfire royal commission to zero in on climate change
Scott Morrison releases details of the ‘Black Summer bushfires’ royal commission, which he wants finished by August 31.
The royal commission into summer’s horror bushfire season will investigate the “consequences of longer, hotter, drier seasons and severe weather events” while recommending ways to improve resilience in the face of changing climatic conditions.
Scott Morrison explicitly acknowledged the role of climate change when announcing the inquiry on Thursday, declaring ANU climate risk and environmental law professor Andrew Macintosh will serve as one of the commissioners.
But Labor, environmental groups and former emergency service chiefs have sounded the alarm regarding the probe’s terms of reference, raising concerns they are “too narrow” and should be expanded to evaluate emission reduction targets.
Announcing its scope on Thursday, the Prime Minister said the inquiry would focus on the impacts of climate change on fire risk.
Royal Commission into Black Summer bushfires terms of reference
“This royal commission accepts, it acknowledges, it understands the impact of climate change more broadly on the climatic conditions that Australia is living in,” Mr Morrison said.
“What this royal commission is looking at are the practical things that must be done to keep Australians safer and safe in longer, hotter, drier summers, in the conditions in which Australians will live into the future.”
But opposition climate change and energy spokesman Mark Butler said he didn’t understand why the inquiry would not also examine the nation’s progress in reducing emissions.
“Australians felt the impact of climate change this summer. They could see it, smell it and feel it,” Mr Butler said.
“Scott Morrison’s climate policy is consistent with over three degrees of global warming, an outcome that scientists warn will be devastating for Australia.”
Environmental groups also weighed in, with former director general of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Brian Gilligan, calling on Mr Morrison to “address the root cause” of hundreds of blazes that claimed more than 30 lives and destroyed thousands of homes.
“This acknowledgment (of climate change) doesn’t let the federal government off the hook for actually tackling climate change, the root cause of rising fire danger,” Mr Gilligan said.
“You can adapt and build resilience to climate change, but ultimately, the government must be held accountable for bringing down emissions and shifting Australia away from fossil fuels to a renewables-powered economy. This is the only way to secure a safe future for Australians.”
The Australian Conservation Foundation warned the probe would be a “waste of taxpayer money” if the commission didn’t consider a warming climate’s contribution to bushfire catastrophes.
“To genuinely have an impact on future bushfire seasons requires a long-term plan that focuses on reducing the pollution that is driving climate change and making bushfires worse,” the group’s CEO Kelly O’Shanassy said.
“No bushfire inquiry … has ever considered climate change. The Black Saturday inquiry specifically avoided it. This must now change.”
Former emergency service chiefs argued credible measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions were “the only way to keep Australians safe” from a similar disaster
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