Greens Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Climate Adaptation and Resilience, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has commented on a new Climate Council report, At Our Front Door: Escalating Climate Risks for Aussie Homes. More than two million properties are already at moderate to high risk of worsening extreme weather driven by climate pollution. The report finds that past failures to cut climate pollution has resulted in more properties being put in harm's way, and rising insurance costs for everyone. It also makes the point that we can't insure our way out of the climate crisis: we must cut climate pollution, fast.
The report identifies the areas most at-risk of climate-driven disasters, with NSW having the highest number of electorates at high risk, and the marginal seat of Richmond identified as the most at-risk electorate, with almost a third of properties (over 31,000) in the electorate characterised as high-risk, that is, where there is a significant risk of insurance becoming unaffordable or withdrawn entirely due to the high risk of damage from extreme weather.
Also in the top five is the Greens-held seat of Brisbane, with almost 20,000 properties in the electorate identified as high-risk.
With an election less than three weeks away, the Greens are the only party with a plan to tackle the climate crisis and protect our environment, communities and homes.
As stated by Senator Mehreen Faruqi:
"We are already in a housing crisis, and the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-driven disasters is only going to make this worse as more and more homes become uninsurable and uninhabitable.
"People are buckling under the combined stresses of the housing and insurance crises and the trauma of climate disasters destroying their homes and lives.
"It should be climate polluting fossil fuel companies paying for the damage, clean up and aftermath of climate fuelled disasters, not families, communities, renters and retirees who are bearing the brunt of the housing and climate crisis.
"The Climate Council report reinforces what scientists and people on the front line of climate disasters have been demanding - the strongest action to tackle the climate emergency is needed urgently. That means no new fossil fuels.
"In the middle of a climate crisis, the Labor government's decision to approve over 30 coal and gas projects and Peter Dutton's nuclear plan to destroy Australia's renewable energy industry is only pouring fuel on a fire that is already burning out of control with so many homes at risk.
"In the next parliament, the Greens will keep Dutton out and get Labor to act on ending new coal and gas and protecting our communities from climate breakdown.
"We're heading to the polls in just a few weeks, and time and again the major parties have shown that they aren't serious about tackling either the climate or the housing crisis. The Greens are the only party with a plan that puts the planet and people before profit."
