VCE Global Politics 2025 Unit 2 AOS 3: 'Climate Change'

How much have global temperatures risen since pre-industrial times?

1.1 degrees Celsius.

What did the UN Security Council say about climate change?

‘Climate change is a threat multiplier that makes existing conflicts worse.’

What was the Paris Agreement?

An International Agreement signed in 2015 by nearly 195 nations pledging to limit warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

What percentage of Australians are concerned about climate change?

75%.

What was the export revenue of the Australian coal industry in 2024?

$120.61 billion AUD. Coal makes up about 57% of Australia’s energy exports.

How many tonnes of coal did Australia export between 2022 and 2023?

335 million tonnes of coal.

How does the Australian Government benefit from the coal mining industry?

The projected royalites paid for fossil fuels to the Australian Government between 2025 to 2028 is $38 billion.

How many people does the Australian coal industry employ?

Over 50,000.

How many villages are being assessed for relocation in Fiji?

803 villages. 6 villages have previously been moved. It cost $1 million USD to move Vunidogoloa 2km inland.

How have natural disasters impacted Fiji?

Cyclone Winston in 2016 knocked $2 billion off Fiji’s economy, 1/3 of its GDP. 42 people were killed.

Why is Tuvalu so at risk?

It’s highest land point is 5 metres above sea level, and the sea level is rising about 4mm per year, meaning that Tuvalu will become uninhabitable within a century. Plans in 2007 to artificially raise the heights of the islands would cost millions.

What is the treaty between Australia and Tuvalu and when was it signed?

The Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty was signed in 2023, allowing 280 Tuvaluans per year to move to Australia on a Climate Visa. 82% of the population applied in 2023.

What is the Chief Executive of the Pacific Tourism Organisation’s quote regarding climate change?

‘Pacific Island leaders have declared climate change as the foremost threat to the livelihoods, security, and well-being of Pacific communities.’

What did the WHO say about climate change in the Pacific?

‘Climate change poses a significant threat to the health of Pacific people.’

How many deaths is climate change projected to cause by 2050?

14.5 million.

How much economic loss is climate change expected to cause by 2050?

$12.5 trillion USD.

How have natural disasters affected Tuvalu?

A La Nina event in 2011 caused a water shortage. Tuvaluans were without water for several months. Category 4 and 5 cyclones in the West Pacific have doubled since the 1970s.

How does Australia contribute to climate change?

It exports coal resulting in 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is almost 3 times its domestic emissions, which are 1.3% of the world’s total.

How has climate change affected Australia?

According to the Insurance Council of Australia, the impact of extreme weather on the Australian economy has tripled over the last 30 years.

How has Australia failed to combat climate change?

Since entering office in 2022, the Labor Government has approved 7 coal mine expansions and the creation of 1 new mine.

How does politics hinder action on climate change?

Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting was the Coalition’s second largest donor. Rupert Murdoch owns over 60% of Australia’s print media through News Corp.

What is COP?

Conference of the Parties- The supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC, meeting every year since 1995.

What was the UN’s COP goal in 2024?

To mobilise US $300 billion per year by 2035 to support developing countries to respond to climate change.

What did Australia commit to at COP 24?

It agreed to invest $125 million in Pacific renewable energy, and also to commit $2.5 million in the Pacific Climate and Health Resilience Package.

What are some key words for this AOS?

National Interest, Sovereignty, Climate Change, Multilateral, Impacts, Power, Popularly Elected, Actors, IGG, Emissions, Fossil Fuels, Dependency.

How has the UN attempted to reach climate neutrality?

In 2014, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said that ‘We will be climate neutral by 2020.’

How is the UN failing to reach climate neutrality?

It reported emissions of nearly 7 million metric tonnes of CO2 between 2018 and 2021. Of the carbon credits purchased between 2012 and 2022, more than 350,000 were issued by projects linked to reports of environmental destruction, forced displacement or health problems.

What did a policy expert at Carbon Market Watch say about the UN?

‘The UN’s neutrality claim lacks credibility’.’-Lindsay Otis, policy expert at Carbon Market Watch.

How is the UN enabling positive action towards climate change?

It runs the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, created in 1994 with over 198 party countries. The goal is to prevent ‘dangerous human interference’ and to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations ‘at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.’

What percentage of the power grid does the Labor Party plan will be renewables by 2030?

82%