Commitment to protect our children and future generations from dangerous climate change
- by: Brad Farrant
- recipient: Politicians, Community Organisations, Businesses and the Public
Commitment to protect our children and future generations from dangerous climate change
We write seeking your support for the attached Statement of Commitment on Climate Change.
Leading public health organisations and prestigious peer reviewed journals have recognised that “Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.”
We also know that current Australian and international carbon reduction commitments are nowhere near enough to protect our children, grandchildren and future generations from dangerous climate change.
Unfortunately, decades of relative inaction on mitigation means that, despite the steep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions required to avoid dangerous climate change, the level of global emissions continues to increase. The threat to our children and future generations grows larger with every passing year.
Therefore, we all need to do everything we possibly can to protect our children and future generations. Indeed, if we are to have any chance of preventing dangerous climate change then we can no longer accept the excuse "climate change is not my responsibility" from anyone.
We all have a responsibility to speak up in defence of the children of today and tomorrow.
Join us in making a commitment to protect them from dangerous climate change.
Please register your intention to support the Statement of Commitment on Climate Change. We also encourage you to include the statement or similar on your own website etc.
We understand that making this commitment is just one step. However, fulfilling it can be challenging. There are a number of not-for-profit organisations who can assist you to complete a carbon inventory, make plans to reduce your footprint and offset any remaining greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing carbon emissions has many co-benefits: not only is it good for the environment and future generations, it’s also good for the health and welfare of current generations, and it will be beneficial for corporate and national economies.
We owe it to our children and future generations to act now.
You may also be interested in making the pledge to vote for our kids and grandkids http://www.communityrun.org/petitions/i-pledge-to-vote-for-our-grandchildren-in-the-2013-federal-election
Statement of Commitment on Climate Change
We acknowledge the scientific consensus regarding the existence of climate change and the substantial contribution the human population is now making to this via our greenhouse gas emissions.
We also acknowledge that climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century and that current Australian and international carbon reduction commitments are nowhere near enough to avoid this threat. Despite the urgent need for steep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to avoid dangerous climate change, the level of global emissions continues to increase. The threat to our children and future generations grows larger with every passing year.
The current generations of adults have a responsibility to do everything we possibly can to protect the children of today and tomorrow from dangerous climate change. Hence it is of utmost importance that climate change is included as an urgent priority area for advocacy, research, policy and practice.
For the sake of our children and future generations we make the commitment to:
Show leadership in our workplaces and in our communities by advocating climate action consistent with the science
Reduce our carbon footprint (e.g., by reducing energy use and increasing energy efficiency, switching to renewable energy, reducing waste, reducing personal transport emissions, purchasing carbon offsets for electricity and gas use and transport, including air travel, and monitoring the carbon footprint of suppliers)
Measure our performance against defined targets and seek to constantly reduce our environmental footprint
Incorporate considerations regarding climate change into our decision making processes. That is, when we are making decisions we will do so in way that recognises whether we are increasing or decreasing our greenhouse gas emissions
Work to increase awareness of the threat that climate change poses to the health and wellbeing of our children and future generations and create opportunities for behaviour change to reduce this threat
Strive to ensure that our financial investments are not contributing to the threat by divesting ourselves and our organisation of investments in carbon intensive and environmentally destructive activities and industries
Conduct and/or advocate high quality research into the current and future effects of climate change on child health and wellbeing
Take the findings of existing research and translate these into policy and practice that will adequately protect our children and future generations from dangerous climate change and to advocate for their implementation.
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