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Climate Advocacy for an Unsafe Climate
Much of today’s climate advocacy is focused on achievable progress within existing political and institutional constraints. But as climate risks escalate, an increasingly important question arises: is the response being shaped by the scale of the risk, or by the limits of what is currently considered possible?
Consider the scale of the risk we’re facing: rising temperatures, extreme weather events, threats to critical Earth systems, ecosystems and human security. This isn’t just a problem for future generations; its impacts are already being felt, while the risks continue to escalate.
Yet, much of mainstream climate advocacy remains calibrated to what is considered politically achievable rather than to the scale and speed of response indicated by the risks. Delay and incremental commitments continue even as the climate system moves further beyond safe conditions.
For decades, SCA’s work has started from the risks themselves: what must be protected, what level of protection is required, and what scale and speed of response the evidence indicates is necessary for protection.
Rethinking the Climate Response
This requires climate advocacy willing to examine responses beyond the boundaries of current political feasibility, while remaining grounded in evidence, risk and the objective of maximum protection. The benchmark should not be what level of climate damage can be accommodated, but what is required to protect people, nature and functioning societies.
This approach shifts the focus from managing escalating climate damage to identifying credible pathways for restoring safe climate conditions.
The Case for Restoration
Safe Climate Australia highlights the work of advocates, researchers and analysts whose work strengthens the case for urgent action aimed at restoring a safe climate.
Global warming impacts threaten the productivity and health of Australia’s major ecosystems, the prosperity of vital sectors of the economy such as agriculture, forestry, tourism and infrastructure, and the security and wellbeing of communities across Australia.
The accelerating impacts of global warming point to the need for a response extending beyond emissions reduction alone. Alongside rapid decarbonisation, credible pathways to a safe climate require substantial atmospheric greenhouse-gas drawdown, investigation of safe approaches to cooling the planet, and protection of people and critical Earth systems while restoration options are assessed and pursued.
