(ANSA) – ROME, March 4 – The Australian government’s counter-appeal to the Federal Court, over the class action brought by two groups of Aboriginal communities on the Australian islands in the Torres Strait, north of the continent, under which the government itself failed to protect the islanders, which are At the forefront of catastrophic climate change. In the first collective work presented on behalf of First Nations peoples, Gudamalulgals on the islands of Boigu and Saibai argue that by failing to reduce emissions further, the government will force their communities to become the country’s first climate refugees “by losing everything: our community, our homes, our culture, our stories.” And our identity.” In an appeal filed last October, leaders of the two communities, Edwam Pol Kabayi and Wadwam Kabay Kabayi, said the climate crisis had caused sea levels to rise, inundating valuable cultural sites, while salinity was rendering the land unsuitable for agriculture. They add that Torres Strait Islanders are facing an existential crisis, and if global temperatures rise more than 1.5 degrees, many of the islands will become uninhabitable. Canberra acknowledged that “some indigenous peoples, some in Australia, are more vulnerable than other peoples to the effects of climate change, because of where they live, their occupations, their connection to the land and the environment and/or their social exclusion and cheapness.” .
The start of the lawsuit against Canberra coincided with the government’s announcement of a net-zero emissions target for 2050, which was presented at COP 26 in Glasgow, without increasing commitment to cuts by 2030, between 26 and 28% compared to 2005 levels. Where the details, which have drawn criticism for its heavy reliance on undeveloped technologies, and on trading in carbon credits. (handle).
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