Opinion

Australia's excuse for climate inaction doesn't stand up to a moment's scrutiny

By Matthew Agarwala
May 8 2021 - 5:25am
A NSW Rural Fire Service firefighter tackles the Currowan fire during the Black Summer bushfires. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos
A NSW Rural Fire Service firefighter tackles the Currowan fire during the Black Summer bushfires. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos

It is rare for heads of government to portray their countries as irrelevant. But this is how Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Australia's role in global climate action amid its worst fire season on record last summer. His argument was that because Australia accounts for just 1.3 per cent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, any action it takes is too small to influence global outcomes.

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