5SOS, Jack River and more call on Canberra to draft ‘clear plan’ on climate change

5 Seconds of Summer, Jessica Mauboy, Holly Rankin (aka Jack River) and Laneway festival co-founder Danny Rogers are using their collective voices to demand Australia’s leaders switch gears and, finally, attack climate change.

The artists and music industry professionals have signed an open letter, designed and delivered by advocacy group Global Citizen.

In it, the signatories urge our elected officials to stop dragging their feet, and to stand up when it counts.

And that moment is coming soon.

“We are less than 10 days out from one of the most important global meetings of our lifetime, COP 26,” the statement reads, “and Australia has not released a clear plan for protecting our planet and addressing climate change.”

Prime Minister has confirmed his attendance at the climate summit, from 1 November in Glasgow, Scotland.

However, the open letter continues, “we are concerned that Australia is going to fail this most important test for the future of our planet and in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

The open letter is more than just a think piece. It’s an instruction manual, with demands for a clear plan, proposed actions and targets.

These include:

1. An ambitious emission reduction target for Australia by 2030 that is in-line with preventing more than 1.5° C of global warming, and a plan for how it is going to be achieved.
2. A firm commitment to reach net zero by 2050 at the latest and a plan for how it is going to be achieved.
3. Increased international climate financing towards Australia’s fair share of the $100 billion per year promised by developed countries to support vulnerable nations, particularly in the Pacific region, in halting and dealing with the effects of climate change.

Morrison, the message reads, “please show up with an ambitious and clear plan on behalf of the majority of Australians who want to see our country take action on climate change. We cannot miss this critical moment in time, the future of our planet depends on it.”

Canberra has, until now, proven woefully out of step with the global community on climate change.

A country that has made a fortune out of digging and drilling for fossil fuels, there’s been little appetite from politicians to fork out for a new, forward-thinking infrastructure based on renewable fuel sources.

Jessica Mauboy

Last month, CNN warned Australia was “shaping up to be the villain of COP26 climate talks, with an 2030 emission half that of the U.S. and U.K. pledges.

Also, Morrison’s government has thus-far resisted making a pledge for net zero emissions by 2050, something two-thirds of countries have committed to.

This, despite the publication of a UN report that found Australia is already experiencing more heat extremes and higher sea level rises than the global average because of climate change.

Read more on the campaign here. 

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.