Going back to the ABC RN interview with the UN climate chief Simon Stiell this morning, you will notice that he is framing the need to cut emissions not just as what a country will lose – but what it can gain:

Well, first of all, it’s a defining moment for all countries. There are almost 200 countries within the Paris Agreement, and all have been asked to come back with new, more ambitious climate plans between now and 2035. So it’s a critical moment for all countries.

But for Australia specifically, there’s an incredible opportunity to demonstrate what ambition looks like, to take full advantage of all of its natural resources in the green energy space, and to accelerate its transition away from its dependence on fossil fuels to new green technologies. It’s already demonstrating that leadership, doubling renewable energy installations over the last few years. One in three rooftops have solar panels, incredible savings for homeowners. But this is a moment for it to reflect on where it is, where the world is, Australia’s position within that global system and the leadership it is going to take both domestically, in ensuring that Australia is able to take full advantage of the economic opportunities with the transition, but also in terms of its contribution to drastically cutting global emissions, to address the climate crisis.