- As a member of the Commonwealth Environment
Minister's first `State of the Environment Reporting Council', HSI warned
the Government back in 1996 of the climate change dilemma (First National
State of the Environment Report) and the lack of sufficient progress in
dealing with it
- HSI successfully listed “climate change” as a
“key threatening process” under the New South Wales Threatened Species
Conservation Act, 1995 requiring a “threat abatement plan” to be developed
- Successfully listed “climate change” as a “key
threatening process” under the Victorian Flora & Fauna Guarantee Act
1988 requiring appropriate conservation action
- Successfully listed “climate change” (Loss of
climatic habitat caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases) as
a “key threatening process” under the Commonwealth's Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999
- HSI is campaigning hard at the United Nations
Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) to ensure protection for
important terrestrial carbon stores (forests, peatlands, wetlands and
tundra) is a major part of the next global climate change agreement – and
the “REDD mechanism” for Reducing Emissions from Forest Deforestation and
Degradation that is being negotiated as part of this agreement is as
effective as possible. This involves us having a team at the multiple
negotiating sessions that take place every year.
- Through advocacy at the UNFCCC and at the UN
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), HSI is promoting strategies to
ensure bio-diversity co-benefits are maximised during efforts to conserve
forest and other terrestrial carbon.
- HSI is a founding member of the Ecosystems
Climate Alliance www.ecosystemsclimate.org an alliance of NGOs campaigning at the UNFCCC
for a well designed REDD mechanism to keep forest ecosystems intact and
their carbon out of the atmosphere.
- HSI is submitting policy positions at every
opportunity to influence the development of carbon pricing schemes in
Australia to ensure they include strategies to protect Australian and
international terrestrial carbon stores and biodiversity. In 2009 we were
successful in ensuring the Coalition led by Malcolm Turnbull negotiated
amendments to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme for terrestrial carbon
conservation which the Rudd Government later adopted as policy. Incentives
for terrestrial carbon protection is now accepted Government policy and
included in the Gillard Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative and Clean
Energy legislation.
- HSI is demanding the Australian Government
commit to ecologically defensible emission reduction targets that would
contribute to a global strategy for stabilising atmospheric carbon levels
at well below 450ppm so that Australian biodiversity and natural icons
such as the Great Barrier and Ningaloo Reefs are not destroyed.
- Working
to promote climate change mitigation programs are taken account of at
other international conservation treaty meetings attended by HSI. For
example, tabling of climate change lobbying documents with the Antarctic
& Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) at meetings of Antarctic Treaty
nations.
- Campaigning
to ensure the Government meets its 2007 election commitments to ban
imports of illegally logged timber to Australia and to ensure all timber
imported is from ecologically sustainable sources.
- Lobbying
for the inclusion of a climate change “trigger” (matter of national
environmental significance) under the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Protection Act, 1999, to allow the Commonwealth to intervene
in major new greenhouse gas emission projects, i.e. coal mines/power
stations/Sydney desalination plant
- Successfully
worked with the office of the Commonwealth Environment Minister, to
require the development of a National Biodiversity and Climate Change
Action Plan. Now seeking to have it upgraded to a legally binding Threat
Abatement Plan in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
(EPBC) Act
- Submitted
detailed submission to Environment Minister for climate change considerations
to be better incorporated into all decision making under the EPBC Act and
for climate refugia for threatened species to be protected.
- Touring
international experts such as Dr Tom Lovejoy and Professor Norman Myers,
promoting the need for action on climate change in relation to
biodiversity conservation and effective energy use
- Seeking
the establishment of specific climate change mitigation programs as a part
of HSI's Future Proofing Australia proposal (a new national and
comprehensive national biodiversity conservation program concept)
- Through
HSI's membership of the National Oceans Advisory Group (NOAG) we are
raising the issue of ocean acidification due to the effects of climate
change and seeking government responses
- Through
the legislative protection of over three million acres of wildlife
habitats in Australia, and through campaigns with other NGOs to reduce
land clearing, we have contributed significantly to the containment of
climate change gas emissions
- We
have been financially supporting reforestation programs in Indonesia
(Kalimantan) working with our colleague organisation the Friends of the
National Parks Foundation, helping to store more carbon
- Under
a recent contract to the Federal Department of the Environment (DEH) as a
peer reviewer, HSI heavily criticised the climate change text in the
Government's draft “2006 National State of the Environment Report” as
being far too weak and evasive
- HSI has
run a national radio advertising campaign to alert the public and pressure
governments over climate change, and offering easy and practical ways that
individuals can help save energy
- HSI
ran a national, regional and international TV advert campaign in 2007, to
promote the need for real action on climate change
- HSI
took every opportunity to urge the former Howard Government to ratify the
Kyoto Protocol
- Through
all policy publications, national policy critiques, report cards and
lobbying in Canberra, HSI has been assessing government action and
promoting programs to mitigate the effects of climate change upon
Australia's biodiversity
- HSI
will continue to pressure the Australian Government to commit to effective
climate change abatement and adaptation strategies at the international
level and at home in Australia.
- HSI
continues to be a regular advocate for forest protection at all the many
international negotiating meetings held several times a year at the UN
Framework Convention for Climate Change.
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