VCE Global Politics Unit 3 AOS 1: 'Climate Change'

What is ‘realism’ in politics?

The idea that global actors prioritise their own interests over then needs of others.

What is ‘cosmopolitanism’ in politics?

The idea that all human beings are members of a single moral community that transcends national boundaries. They prioritise cooperation to reach common goals and meet challenges faced by the global community.

What is a ‘tragedy of the commons’?

A situation in which individuals have access to a common pool of resources and ultimately overuse and deplete them (Garret Hardin).

What are Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)?

Commitments that states have made to particular policies and measures to reduced greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

What are some of the short-term causes of climate change?

The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, transportation, over-consumption, and poor waste management.

How does the burning of fossil fuels contribute to climate change?

Fossil fuel burning accounts for over 75% of global emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. In 2018, 89% of global emissions came from fossil fuels and industry.

How does deforestation contribute to climate change?

Between 2010 and 2020, the net loss in forests globally was 4.7 million hectares per year, with agriculture accounting for ¾ of the loss. Deforestation was responsible for 12% of emissions between 2007 and 2016 (IPCC).

How does transportation contribute to climate change?

According to the UN Environment Programme, transportation is responsible for ¼ of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions (2023).

How does overconsumption contribute to climate change?

Household consumption accounts for 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Worland, 2023). The 2020 UNEP Emissions Gap Report suggested reducing consumer carbon footprint from a global average of approx. 6 tons of CO2 per person to 2-2.5 tons of CO2 by 2030, and to 0.7 tons by 2050.

How does poor waste management contribute to climate change?

Municipal solid waste generation is expected to grow from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. In 2020, the direct and hidden cost of waste management was estimated to be US $361 billion, and could double by 2050.

What is a positive outcome of interconnectedness?

In early 2023, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution enabling the UNGA to seek the opinion of the ICJ on states’ obligations to address climate change and their legal consequences.

What is a negative outcome of interconnectedness?

An increase in trade transport. According to the International Transport Forum (2021), greenhouse gas emissions from freight transport will increase 2.3 fold from 2015 to 2050.

How does the UN view climate change?

It views it as ‘one of the major challenges of our time.’ It has created 17 sustainable development goals.

When was the UNFCCC created, and what it its goal?

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was created on the 21st of March 1994 with 198 party states. It aims to ‘mitigate climate change by stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.’

What was the Paris Climate Agreement?

At COP21 in 2015, 196 parties adopted the Paris Climate Agreement, pledging to keep warming ‘well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.’

What has Brazil’s response to climate change been?

Brazil ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016 and adjusted its NDCs in November 2023. It committed to ‘an absolute net zero greenhouse gas emission target in 2030. Brazil’s agricultural sector contributes to 48% of its emissions

How has deforestation affected Brazil?

The Amazon Rainforest holds 48 billion tons of carbon. However, it has lost 20% of its rainforests due to deforestation.

What did the Brazilian Government say about the Amazon?

‘If [the rich world] do want to effectively preserve the remaining rainforest, it is necessary to allocate money not only to take care of the forest canopy, but to the people who live down below.’- Brazilian Government, 2023.

How has India responded to Climate Change?

India ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016, and in mid-2022 pledged to reduce the ‘emissions intensity’ of its GDP to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030, and in 2021 planned to reach net-zero emissions by 2070. India is producing 368 million LED lightbulbs and ordering over 5,000 electric light bulbs in order to achieve this.

How is reaching net-zero emissions difficult for India?

In 2023, the average Indian consumed 1/12th the amount of electricity consumed by the average American. The International Monetary Fund predicts that there will be a 41% increase in emissions by 2030 due to the country’s technological development.

How is combatting climate change difficult for Afghanistan?

In 2025, Afghanistan ranked 180th in the Notre Dame Global Adaption Index. It was not present for COP 22, 23 or 24, and does not have access to the Green Climate Fund, which had approved nearly US $18 million in sustainable energy projects for Afghanistan prior to Taliban takeover.

What actions has Australia taken to combat climate change?

-The Turnbull National Energy Guarantee in 2016 obliged power companies to reduce emissions and prices.

-Scott Morrison’s Technology Investment Roadmap in 2021 directed government investment to low-carbon technologies.

-Anthony Albanese’s Climate Change Bill in 2022 outlines Australia’s target of a 43% emissions reduction on 2005 levels by 2030, and net-zero by 2050. This target is considered insufficient by the Climate Action Tracker.

What were one of the results of COP29?

The parties agreed to mobilise US $300 billion per year by 2035 in order to support developing countries in responding to climate change.

Why did the US withdraw from the Paris Agreement?

It withdrew because of the ‘unfair economic burden imposed upon American workers, businesses and taxpayers.’

What was a goal set at COP30?

To mobilise US $1.3 trillion per year by 2035 for the Green Climate Fund.

What are some failings of international governments in response to climate change?

The US and Chinese presidents did not attend COP28, and about 70 governments failed to update their NDCs in 2025, despite the fact that the Paris Agreement requires they do so every 5 years.

Why is reducing emissions difficult for developing countries?

A 2023 study of 48 developing economies found that an energy transition would cost $5.8 trillion annually from 2023 to 2030, equivalent to 19% of their combined GDP (UNCTAD, 2023).

How does the Minerals Council of Australia influence the government?

The Minerals Council of Australia gave over $350,000 AUD in donations to several Labor and Coalition branches ahead of the 2022 election (The Guardian).

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 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 royalties 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 government 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%

What is the EU Green Deal?

The EU’s 2019 deal to become the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.

What is Greenpeace?

A global network of independently campaigning organisations that use peaceful protest to prompt action on environmental protection. It does not accept donations from any governments or coorporations. 3.5 million financial supporters and an annual budget of more than US $500 million.

What has Greenpeace done that has successfully reduced global warming?

Drove the movement for a Global Ocean Treaty, which was agreed in 2023, and ratified by 60 states by 2025.

How has China responded to climate change?

China is the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter and did not attend COP28 in 2023. It is also the largest supplier of lithium batteries and spent 2x more on the green transition than any other country in 2023.

How has a developing country been affected by the climate crisis?

Pakistan contributes to less than 1% of global emissions, yet spent $80 billion on climate disaster relief due to flooding in 2023.