Page 1613 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 2 June 2021
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me hope for the situation that we are currently in. Nearly 53 years ago on 1 July 1968, the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was signed. Just over 50 years ago that treaty came into effect and currently 191 countries are a party to it.
Despite its enormous significance and complexity, that treaty took just three years to negotiate. At the time it was first proposed, only five countries were armed with nuclear weapons but it was estimated that within 20 years there could be as many as 30. Instead, we think that only a few more nations acquired nuclear weapons. That treaty worked.
These non-proliferation treaties are based on three pillars: non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful use. Critics point to the continuing existence of nuclear warheads, but the fact remains that we have kept a lid on nuclear war since well before I was born thanks to a global movement. We did it before, and we can do it again. The bottom line is one of success. Through cooperation, we have saved ourselves from self-destruction.
We are facing another apocalypse now. We are in a climate emergency and once again we face the looming possibility of destruction. We could become victims of our own technology and unchecked ambition. We could take much of the living world along with us. We must act cooperatively, as we did with that first non-proliferation treaty. There is a growing movement that knows it is time for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty. A treaty that only took three years from start to finish to set up all around the world—we did it before and we can do it again.
To be honest, at first I was not sure about this. When it comes to the climate, I have treaty fatigue. We already have the Kyoto protocol, the Paris agreement, the UN framework convention and our very own climate emergency declaration made right here in the Assembly. Surely, we have moved beyond the point where more words will help. Surely, we just need to get on with the job.
Before I was elected, I picked projects with really tangible outcomes. I was a climate activist. I ran a recycling company and I ran a carbon diet. When it comes to the environment, I am more about action than words; but when I took a closer look at this global movement, it made perfect sense.
A fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty would not be just another declaration. This call fills a vital gap. It tackles the supply side of fossil fuel. This is an aspect of climate policy left out of the Paris agreement. We need to deal with it if we are going to tackle climate change. We also need a just transition. We need to make sure people have energy and the jobs they need in the green economy.
Most actions so far have focused on reducing demand. Here in the ACT we are doing a lot in this space. We brought in 100 per cent renewable electricity based on Greens policy. We brought in light rail, which is now operating on that 100 per cent renewable electricity, also based on Greens policy. We took the nation’s most progressive EV policy into the last election along with financial support to help people make their households more sustainable, and we are now implementing it with our Labor partners.
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