Climate policy has been weaponised in Australia over recent decades. The situation in other countries is frequently not dissimilar. The lack of real action on climate change resulted in over one third of Australian voters rejecting the major parties in preference of environmentally progressive ‘Teal’ independents at the 2022 federal election. Zoe Daniel is one of seven Teal Independent who are now working to drive positive and constructive climate policy changes across the Australian Federal Parliament.
The political will to generate and implement policies that effectively address climate change, including the economic mechanisms required for these policies to succeed, is frequently highlighted as a critical gap that needs to be overcome. Entrenched two party systems, each pandering to their base, make it easy for disruptive climate policies to remain off the agenda. Impact on climate change will remain limited without broad government leadership and policies despite the efforts of the NGO community, civil society, entrepreneurs, and the private sector.
So how does a new MP make an impact in one the rougher federal parliaments globally?
“If you come in, particularly as a new MP and expect to create massive systems change overnight, you’re going to be disappointed. So you have to convince yourself that you can make a difference by doing the kind of nudging that myself and the other independents have been doing.”
By using this approach Zoe managed to negotiate that the 43% emission reduction stipulated in the recent Climate Change Act was a floor rather than a ceiling. Her real impact came from being in the same room and having the opportunity to negotiate directly with the Climate Change Minister.
Zoe has taken a pragmatic and broad approach that prioritises creating the social license for government to implement change and bringing the community along. She expects massive economic and social changes that people will need to adjust to a compressed period and for this to be successful broad community engagement and transparency are critical. This includes managing the expectation of her constituents who are pushing from much more rapid change and ensuring there is just transition for communities who have traditionally relied on the sunset industries.
The continuing weaponization of energy, water, and food globally is a big concern. It becomes very challenging when these become bargain chips to undermine the existing global order. Drawing on her 15 years reporting from Africa, Asia, and North America she understands the cascading effects of climate induced food insecurity, water insecurity and natural disasters on political stability and displacement. Zoe also highlights the increasingly delicate balance required to keep vital communications channels open with our geopolitical rivals and adversaries.
As a foreign correspondent she frequently witnessed the suffering and destruction climate change has on the most vulnerable societies and natural ecosystems. Her time as a journalist also exposed her to the frequently divisive nature of the media, where creating conflict in the name of good story is often favoured over promoting constructive conversations.
I recently caught up with Zoe to hear more about her work, you can listen to a short summary followed by our full conversation here.
Climate policy has been weaponised in Australia over recent decades. The situation in other countries is frequently not dissimilar. The lack of real action on climate change resulted in over one third of Australian voters rejecting the major parties in preference of environmentally progressive ‘Teal’ independents at the 2022 federal election. Zoe Daniel is one of seven Teal Independent who are now working to drive positive and constructive climate policy changes across the Australian Federal Parliament.
The political will to generate and implement policies that effectively address climate change, including the economic mechanisms required for these policies to succeed, is frequently highlighted as a critical gap that needs to be overcome. Entrenched two party systems, each pandering to their base, make it easy for disruptive climate policies to remain off the agenda. Impact on climate change will remain limited without broad government leadership and policies despite the efforts of the NGO community, civil society, entrepreneurs, and the private sector.
So how does a new MP make an impact in one the rougher federal parliaments globally?
“If you come in, particularly as a new MP and expect to create massive systems change overnight, you’re going to be disappointed. So you have to convince yourself that you can make a difference by doing the kind of nudging that myself and the other independents have been doing.”
By using this approach Zoe managed to negotiate that the 43% emission reduction stipulated in the recent Climate Change Act was a floor rather than a ceiling. Her real impact came from being in the same room and having the opportunity to negotiate directly with the Climate Change Minister.
Zoe has taken a pragmatic and broad approach that prioritises creating the social license for government to implement change and bringing the community along. She expects massive economic and social changes that people will need to adjust to a compressed period and for this to be successful broad community engagement and transparency are critical. This includes managing the expectation of her constituents who are pushing from much more rapid change and ensuring there is just transition for communities who have traditionally relied on the sunset industries.
The continuing weaponization of energy, water, and food globally is a big concern. It becomes very challenging when these become bargain chips to undermine the existing global order. Drawing on her 15 years reporting from Africa, Asia, and North America she understands the cascading effects of climate induced food insecurity, water insecurity and natural disasters on political stability and displacement. Zoe also highlights the increasingly delicate balance required to keep vital communications channels open with our geopolitical rivals and adversaries.
As a foreign correspondent she frequently witnessed the suffering and destruction climate change has on the most vulnerable societies and natural ecosystems. Her time as a journalist also exposed her to the frequently divisive nature of the media, where creating conflict in the name of good story is often favoured over promoting constructive conversations.
I recently caught up with Zoe to hear more about her work, you can listen to a short summary followed by our full conversation here.