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The Australian Marine Conservation Society and Climate Council - Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation – have both responded to the new State of the Environment report released yesterday.

AMCS consider the report to paint a “concerning picture of the health of our oceans and lands and shows we must urgently turn the tide to protect Australia’s priceless marine environments and wildlife.”

AMCS Chief Executive Darren Kindleysides said the sorry State of the Environment report shows the dire consequences of years of poor environmental policy and climate inaction in Australia.

“The new government’s response to this devastating report card is the first test of their environmental credibility. They must make sure it marks a turning point in Australia’s ambition and action to protect our environment,” he said.

The devastating new assessment has found our coasts and marine environments are deteriorating and highlights a number of threats to marine health that must be addressed including climate change, industrialisation, plastic and water pollution.

The report also flags that more species are listed as threatened or in a higher category of threat than five years ago, including marine wildlife, highlighting that Australia’s weak environment laws are failing to protect and recover our unique flora and fauna.

AMCS said it was important to note the report was completed and handed to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s predecessor Sussan Ley in December 2021. This was before this year’s devastating mass bleaching event on our Great Barrier Reef, bleachings on our West coast reefs, and the impacts on ocean environments and wildlife of recent flooding in eastern Australia.

Kindleysides adds “the wellbeing of Australians is wrapped up with the health of our oceans and the marine wildlife found there, but sadly our oceans are suffering from overheating, over use and under-protection. We need to do more now or we put at risk everything we rely on our oceans for - our health, wellbeing, livelihoods and our culture.

“The State of the Environment report must inject a sense of urgency to keep the Paris goal of no more than 1.5 degrees of warming alive - this is a warming threshold that is crucial to keep within for the sake of our precious coral reefs.”

Kindleysides said the new government had the opportunity and mandate to ensure the state of our oceans improves across the next five years adding “We need policies that will ease pressure on our oceans while temperatures rise. This means building resilience by reducing stress from industrialisation, poor fisheries management, water and plastic pollution, and bringing in more protections for our incredible and unique marine wildlife.”

Climate Council Chief Executive, Amanda McKenzie notes “Australia has paid a heavy price for more than a decade of climate inaction from the previous Government, with a “poor and deteriorating” outlook for our irreplaceable environment, ecosystems and species.

“The report is unequivocal that rapid and deep cuts to global greenhouse gas emissions can help protect our environment,” said Ms McKenzie.

“Australia’s high greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to the decline of our environment. After almost a decade of ‘lost years’ of inaction, there is no more time to waste. We must rapidly drive down emissions this decade and immediately stop the expansion of new coal and gas projects.”

The Climate Council recommends that Australia:

• Reduce emissions by 75% below 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2035.
• Stop all new coal and gas projects and phase out existing reliance on fossil fuels
• Ensure all environmental assessments of new gas and coal projects are responsible and evidence-based, and include scope 3 emissions from all projects.

Economist and Climate Councillor, Nicki Hutley adds “the decline of our environment is an ecological and economic disaster. Australia’s species, ecosystems and natural resources are the environmental capital upon which the prosperity of future generations depends.”

“Whether it’s biodiversity restoration, ecosystem resilience, or the rapid investments in clean energy required to deliver the urgent emissions cuts this decade, funding for environmental protection can result in trillions of dollars of avoided damage.

“Past and current policies have failed to protect our precious environment, and must change. As a key first step, Australia’s main environmental law—the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act—must consider the impacts of climate change when considering new coal and gas projects for approval.”

Dr Kate Charlesworth, public health physician and Climate Councillor advised “Smoke pollution from bushfires, the spread of mould and vector-borne diseases after multiple floods, and the impact of floods and drought on our food security all highlight the serious consequences of environmental deterioration, exacerbated by climate change, on our health and well-being.

“The enormous physical and mental health benefits of interacting with nature are also well-documented. We need immediate action to restore the health of our ecosystem, starting with an immediate ban on new coal and gas projects and rapid emissions cuts this decade.”

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