climate goals
What year did Australia promise to reach net-zero emissions?
2050
Who was Australia's prime minister in the article?
Scott Morrison
Which fossil fuel was Australia the world's biggest exporter of?
coal
Name one natural disaster made worse by climate change in Australia.
Droughts or bushfires
What does 'net zero' mean?
Balancing greenhouse-gas emissions with removals.
What was Australia's original emissions reduction target for 2030?
26–28% below 2005 levels
What political coalition did Scott Morrison lead?
The conservative coalition government
What percentage of Australia's GDP came from mining?
11%
Which famous Australian reef has been damaged by warming waters?
The Great Barrier Reef
What does the expression 'all talk and no trousers' suggest?
Making promises without taking real action.
Which international climate agreement did Australia join in 2015?
The Paris Agreement
How many of Morrison's predecessors lost their jobs over emissions policies?
three
Approximately how many jobs did mining support?
270,000
What percentage of Australians considered climate change a serious and pressing problem?
More than 60%
What does 'phase out' mean?
To gradually stop using something.
What reduction did scientists say Australia needed by 2030 to help limit warming to 1.5°C?
74%
What was Morrison's main slogan about climate solutions?
Technology, not taxes
How many new natural-gas fields did Morrison's government want to open?
five
Which islands were threatened by rising sea levels?
The Torres Strait Islands
What did the ecologist mean by saying the plan had 'all the strength of a wet paper bag'?
The plan was extremely weak and ineffective.
Why did critics say Australia's net-zero plan was not credible?
It had no enforceable laws, no new policies and relied heavily on future technology.
Why was Morrison reluctant to introduce strict climate policies?
He wanted to protect jobs, fossil-fuel industries and voters from higher costs.
Including exported emissions, what position did Australia reach among the world's biggest CO₂ emitters?
fifth.
What did Yessie Mosby fear his people would become?
Refugees in their own country
What is the article's main criticism of Australia's climate policy?
It relies too much on future technology instead of taking strong action now.