Climate change: Let's ponder what is heading our way

This is the third and important point, “no matter what happens” means there is no greater agenda than the urgent mitigation and smart adaptation to climate change - egos, political spats, ersatz business trends and short term economic interests must not defeat us.

Also, another critical aspect to remember is that it is not just us. Australia is facing mass species extinctions, the force of which we have never seen before.

WWF estimates that up to 20 per cent of Australia’ s half million or so plants and animals could be threatened with extinction as a result of the failure to deal with these threats like climate change and land clearing in time. We must see a quantum leap in our nation’s efforts to deal with key threats such as declining water quality and wetland health, weeds and pest animals, states still allowing land-clearing, and climate change.

WWF is calling for a Biodiversity Commission to be established to report on and find solutions to the enormous loss of species we are facing.

A dedicated body to bear witness and take action on helping to build resilience and adaptation for species is the least we can do on our watch. To not do anything for those species we have condemned to climate change is a choice, of course. We want to give them a fighting chance. Do you?

The last point should be obvious, however, the glacial movement of some companies and political sectors shows that it is not as prosaic as you would think.

Climate change equals business opportunity. This next industrial revolution towards a carbon-constrained world will have winners and losers. If companies haven’t thought about clean energy, future pollution liability, energy efficiencies and how to make a buck sustainably then they are already set in amber. Rest in Peace.

On our watch, we must ensure - no matter what happens - that this clever country embraces the opportunities and finds a way to give the rest of life on earth a fighting chance.