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Major Climate Change Adaptation Challenge:
Queensland, Australia
Economic
• 5.1% growth in QLD
compared to 3.1% in AUS
• Agriculture 2.8% GSP
• Tourism 4.5% GSP
• Mining 8% GSP
Social
• Population: 4.3 Million
• Fastest growing region
• 85% of population within
100km of coast
Environmental
• Over 1000 Ecosystems
• 89% freshwater fish
• 79% birds
• 65% mammals
• 210 km Great Barrier Reef
• Wet Tropics World Heritage
Areas
Australia’s Challenge:
Dependence on Fossil Fuels
• Economics of the Coal Industry
– Perception of irreplaceability
• Jobs
• Contribution to economy
• Cultural attachment - mining heritage
– Realities
• 0.3% of employment
• Low contribution to GDP (3%) – foreign
owned
Australia’s Challenge:
Dependence on Fossil Fuels
- Coal • Social
– Local communities
– Perception of well
paid, reliable jobs
– Associated
industries
– Perception that
transition/change
will be difficult
• Environmental
– Transitional
impacts of
changing to other
energies
– Externalities
– Marketing
ecological values
– Environmental
Valuation
Australia’s Challenge:
Dependence on Fossil Fuels
- Petroleum • Transport & Infrastructure
– 65% of people use a car as their primary
method of transport
– Enormous distances, reliance on roads
– Inadequate public transport
– Sprawl & poor land use planning