As noted in our last forum, climate change is being driven by changes to the geosphere by increasing greenhouse emissions, but it is also the result of changes to the biosphere including pollution and destruction of the natural environment. Both are mutually reinforcing and the latter will soon dominate as the main driver of climate change. The scale of the challenge was discussed in the forum introduction.
Covid provided humanity with an opportunity to accept the need for change and respond in a new direction, instead of fighting it in an attempt to maintain business as usual and celebrate a return to normal. But this opportunity has been squandered for political reasons and will make the process of adaption even more difficult as environmental degradation continues and with it increased pressure to adapt to the changing world around us.
Government responses to covid demonstrate how poorly this imperative is understood, or even denial that it is a problem in the first place. Covid has been a reminder of how strongly business as usual remains rooted in every aspect of life and how difficult it is to change. But it has also demonstrated that change is possible and the critical role of leadership, at all levels, particularly government to respond. It has also demonstrated the need for honesty and integrity – to face up to the enormity of the challenge and develop strategies in a way that engages the community and enables them to respond positively and make the transition.
Leadership could start with a declaration of new values and goals based on respect for the planet and the need to live within its limits. Values of thrift and conservation should be celebrated and rewarded, and new jobs created to promote this. This would be reflected in every aspect of community life, and by government at all levels. These values should be developed on the basis of necessity and an understanding that if humanity does not change its collective behaviour an increasingly inhospitable planet will force humanity to do so.
Leadership by government would be demonstrated by discouraging mass consumption of goods and services of every kind and promotion of maintenance, reuse, recycling. It can be demonstrated in the transport context by abandoning all projects that are traffic generators such as the West Gate Tunnel, North East Link, Suburban Rail Loop and many level crossing removal projects, and by implementing measures that encourage people to travel less, less often and more efficiently. It could be demonstrated by rejecting population and economic growth to improve or even maintain living standards, and by city planning and development strategies that limit growth with a plan that anticipates the need for growth to be reversed and ultimately for negative growth and contraction around service centres that reduce the need for travel and transport services. But words are easy, it needs a plan, a plan that is underpinned by new values, aspirations, expectations based on a realistic understanding of the environmental imperative and scale and complexity of the challenges ahead. It will require a new vision for our city, a model that can adapt and ultimately survive in a zero-emission world – providing we have the courage and strength to meet targets provided by our scientists.