Australia has become a hotspot for climate lawsuits as the crisis escalates

Australia’s exposure to intense heat continues to rise while the nation finds itself a global hotspot for climate-related lawsuits, according to the latest MJA–Lancet Countdown report.

Published today, the document shows a 37 percent increase in excess heat factor across the country over the past two decades, intensifying concerns about health risks tied to higher temperatures.

Paul Beggs, a professor at Macquarie University, is the lead author and director of the Lancet Countdown Center in Oceania. He argued that “the frequency of health-damaging heat has increased substantially since the 1970s.”

His statement reflects a broader conclusion from the report, which assesses links between health and climate change in Australia across five domains: health hazards and impacts, adaptation planning, mitigation actions, economics and finance, and public and political engagement.

Rising tide of climate lawsuits

One of the new features of this year’s report is an indicator measuring the rate of climate-related litigation, revealing that Australia has the second-highest number of climate change lawsuits worldwide. 

“Health was raised as an issue in eleven Australian climate cases between 2014 and 2023,” said Beggs. “Courts have closely examined detailed evidence about how climate change directly and indirectly affects people’s health, especially for vulnerable groups.”

This uptick in climate lawsuits forms part of an overall picture in which Australia’s readiness to tackle climate-related harm faces ongoing tests.

Climate and health systems under strain

The report highlights some key weaknesses in Australia’s efforts to manage the intersection of climate and health. One concern is a 17 percent reduction in the number of volunteer firefighters over a span of seven years, putting the country’s bushfire response capacity at risk.

Another issue is the dominance of fossil fuels in energy production. Even though renewables are making gains, carbon-intensive sources still contribute to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Health care’s share in emitting greenhouse gases also remains troubling, with emissions from the sector reaching their highest point since 2010 in 2021 – an outcome partly linked to shifts in care patterns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nonetheless, this rise underscores the need for better frameworks that reduce carbon footprints throughout health services.

Progress in climate and health planning

Despite the obstacles, there are encouraging developments noted in the report. The Australian Government recently completed its first National Climate Risk Assessment, which singled out health and social support as one of eleven priority risks. 

“This past year Australia has taken a crucial step forward in understanding how risks are connected across sectors,” said Professor Hilary Bambrick, a contributor to the report and director of the National Center for Epidemiology and Population Health at The Australian National University.

“This Assessment should facilitate more considered and coordinated planning and response to increasingly dangerous climate change to better protect human health and well-being.”

Renewable energy use in Australia also continues to advance, now accounting for nearly 40 percent of electricity generation. Large-scale and small-scale clean energy infrastructure are on the rise.

However, challenges remain, noted Professor Stefan Trueck, director of Macquarie University’s Center for Transforming Energy Markets. 

“Electricity generation from renewables keeps accelerating, fossil fuel generation is shrinking, but ensuring reliability of electricity supply demands even greater investment in renewables and storage,” said Trueck.

Meanwhile, the popularity of electric vehicles is growing, with sales hitting a record high of 98,436 units in 2023 and representing 8.47 percent of all new car sales. Australia may have dodged catastrophic climate disasters this year, but neighboring New Zealand encountered cyclone Gabrielle and severe flooding. 

“A strength of the Countdown report is that it includes views from both sides of the Tasman. Australia and New Zealand differ geographically, but both are being squeezed by climate change, and we can learn from each other’s policy and health system responses,” noted professor Alistair Woodward from the University of Auckland.

Critical years ahead

The report stresses that the next five years will be crucial for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and shifting decisively to renewable energy, with scientific research on health and climate change in Australia surging in parallel. In 2023 alone, there were 525 publications in this area – a 29 percent jump from the previous year.

Since its inception in 2017, the MJA–Lancet Countdown has delivered annual evaluations of how well – or poorly – Australia is faring on health and climate matters.

This year’s version, prepared by a group of 25 experts from 15 institutions across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, highlights the ongoing effort to combine climate science, public health, energy policy, economics, and environmental research into a unified picture.

Looking ahead, the authors plan to broaden the scope in future reports by adding metrics focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in a changing climate, as well as the mental health challenges that can emerge as global temperatures continue to climb.

The report is published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–