2026-10-22
The Australian Greens say new research from Emergency Leaders for Climate Action lays bare the staggering cost of the climate crisis, with bushfires projected to cost Australia an average of $6 billion a year over the next 30 years.
The next two summers pose a significant risk to communities, as a hotter climate and record El Niño collide.
Labor has approved 37 new coal and gas projects whilst in office.
Australian Greens Assistant Spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Steph Hodgins-May, said:
“Labor is staring down the barrel of climate destruction and still approving new coal and gas.
“This government is so captured by the fossil fuel lobby, so beholden to its mates in big coal and gas, that it would rather see this country burn than stand up to corporations’ insatiable appetite for profit.
“Every new fossil fuel project means more homes destroyed, more lives lost, more communities ripped apart and billions of dollars in economic damage.
“Six billion dollars a year in bushfire costs should be a massive wake-up call for any sane government. Instead, Labor is doubling down on coal and gas.
“We’re heading into another dangerous summer, with a record-breaking El Niño. We need an urgent cessation of new coal and gas approvals, investment to prepare communities for what’s coming, and support for those who will be on the frontline of these incoming disasters.
“Climate change is here, it’s our new reality. But let’s be clear, it’s not inevitable. It’s a political choice.