Antinuclear

UN climate negotiator Christiana Figueres says she is willing to meet business leader Maurice Newman in the wake of his extraordinary attack against on UN climate policy – and warns that it would be dangerous for Australia not to act on climate change.

EMMA ALBERICI: One observer with a very keen eye on Australia’s energy debate is the United Nations top climate negotiator, Christiana Figueres. She told a conference in Melbourne this week that Australia must step away from its reliance on coal exports as the international appetite for it decreases and pointedly she noted that Australia was the highest per capita emitter of coal pollution, among industrialised countries.

Christiana Figueres joins us now from our studio in Canberra……………

EMMA ALBERICI: I want to start with the article that appeared today in the ‘Australian’ newspaper, written by the Prime Minister’s chief business adviser Maurice Newman. He’s a well-known climate sceptic, for want of a better word, and he’s attacked you quite personally. He says, “Why with such little evidence of climate change does the UN insist the world spend hundreds of millions – billions of rather a year on futile climate change policy. Perhaps Christiana Figueres has the answer.”

Let me ask you the question?

CHRISTIANA FIGUERES: Well, you know, Emma, I came to this country with a very open heart for this fantastic country, and with a very open mind for what the Government has decided that they want to do on climate change. They have three different economic instruments and I have a very open mind to that. …..

My suggestions here the whole week that I have been here in Australia are – I haven’t been suggesting changing the target, I haven’t been suggesting even changing the economic instruments. Quite to the contrary.

CHRISTIANA FIGUERES: Well, I’m afraid to say that he is certainly not in the majority, not only the majority of scientists, but the majority of citizens around the world, the majority of leaders around the world, are quite clear about the effects that we are actually playing with here and the risks that we have to manage ahead of us.

So, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I do think that it would be rather dangerous for Australia not to look at very seriously at both the threats, but perhaps even more importantly the opportunities. Because nations around the world are wakening up to the fact that there are huge opportunities in innovation, in new industry, in job creation, in better energy security and better health for sure, that are brought about through measures that are, I would say, as a second step, they’re actually helping to bring down emissions, but first and most fundamentally there is an economic imperative from the national economic point of view.

……… we need some stability, we need durability, we need predictability in order for industry to make decisions, in order for the investment community to make decisions. ………….

EMMA ALBERICI: But I’ll draw you back to the initial question and I’m curious to know whether you are dismayed by the fact that the Prime Minister’s chief business adviser, an extremely prominent voice in the business community, whether you’re dismayed that he just absolutely discounts the notion that the climate is changing and that we ought do anything about it?

CHRISTIANA FIGUERES: Well, I’m afraid to say that he is certainly not in the majority, not only the majority of scientists, but the majority of citizens around the world, the majority of leaders around the world, are quite clear about the effects that we are actually playing with here and the risks that we have to manage ahead of us. …………….. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2015/s4232634.htm