think climate. think change.
Department of Climate Change
December 2002
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THE GLOBAL CLIMATE IS CHANGING and there is now strong evidence and international consensus that a significant part of this change is due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Elevated levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases also mean that our climate will continue to change throughout this century and beyond. The question is not will the climate change?, but rather how will it change? and what are the consequences? for regions and sectors.
Adaptation to climate change impacts will require an understanding of projected changes and impacts on regions of Australia, sectors of economy and society. It also requires an understanding of how effective our current approaches to managing climate variability and extremes are, and assessment of the range of management and policy tools available to help reduce future vulnerability to climate change. Adaptation will allow the costs of climate change impacts to be minimised and any opportunities and benefits to be realised. It is therefore important that we move to address the information gaps and uncertainties that exist around potential climate change impacts on Australia and the adaptation tools and options available.
The Government stated in its 15 August 2002 announcement entitled Global Greenhouse Challenge: The Way Ahead for Australia that it will implement policies and programs that will assist adaptation to climate change.
Changes to the climate, resultant impacts, and the consequent requirements for adaptation actions are the consequence of atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases emitted globally. Australia allows for about 1% of world emissions. For these reasons, the Australian Government is committed to reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions and, even more importantly, to securing real global effort to address the threat of climate change.
This report provides a summary overview of selected possible climate change impacts on Australia. While considerable uncertainties exist due to incomplete scientific knowledge at this point, governments, industry and communities must start to consider these issues and take climate change impacts into account in long term planning for the future.
