29 October 2021
The Legislative Council has backed a call from the Greens for Adelaide to host a future UN Conference of Parties (COP) Climate Conference.
The motion called on the Government to leverage South Australia’s global renewable energy leadership and Adelaide’s ranking as the third most liveable city in the world to petition the UN to host the conference.
“This is a real opportunity to cement South Australia’s reputation as a renewable energy powerhouse. This would keep up the momentum for climate action here in SA. Despite the achievements of recent years, more must be done to move away from dangerous fossil fuels like gas,” said Greens MLC Robert Simms.
“South Australia has always been a leader on climate. Sadly, at a federal level Australia is lagging behind. Prime Minister Morrison’s target of action by 2050 is woefully inadequate.
“As well as showcasing the work being done at a state level, Adelaide hosting this conference would put pressure on the federal government to act,” Mr Simms said.
The motion was supported by all parties on Wednesday night, including the Liberal Government and the Labor Opposition. Business SA has advocated for Adelaide to host the conference as an economic stimulus for the state.
Text of the motion below.
That this Council -
- Notes the significance of the ‘Conference of the Parties’ (COP26) UN Conference on Climate Change taking place in November in Glasgow;
- Recognises the latest IPCC Report confirmed that the world is on track for 1.5°C of warming;
- Calls on the State Government to leverage South Australia’s global renewable energy leadership, and Adelaide’s ranking as the third most liveable city in the world, to petition to host a UN Conference of Parties on climate change, as proposed by Business SA.