More than a decade ago, scientists warned that climatic change risked making Australia's fire season start earlier, finish later and become more intense.
A 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Global warming (IPCC) stated that “in south-east Australia, the regularity of very high and extreme fire danger days is likely to rise 4-25% by 2023 and 15-70% by 2050”.
Today, Australia is constantly on the burn because the country struggles to come to grips using the crisis.
Worsening weather conditions in the south-east of the country prompted authorities to call for an additional mass evacuation in the most heavily populated areas.
On Thursday, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said 2023 had been the nation's warmest and driest year on record with temperatures 1.52C excellent and rainfall at the smallest since record began in 1900.
The crisis is anticipated to cost vast amounts of dollars in recovery efforts and the country's bill for tackling natural disasters is expected to soar in coming decades with worsening climate change.
Pro-coal Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a $2billion AUS ($1.4bn) national bushfire recovery fund now to assist communities rebuild their lives. “If further funds are required, further funds is going to be provided. We will do whatever needs doing,” he said.
While the fire response continues, thousands of people from Sydney to Hobart have taken to the streets denouncing government inaction on global warming.
Across the country, the bushfire crisis could catalyse a debate about Australia's climate policies (or lack of) and the have to build resilience within its communities. If not now, when?
Hot times
Outside Australia, the EU's earth observatory programme Copernicus found 2023 was the 2nd warmest year since record began within the 1800s, ending the world's hottest decade yet.
In 2023, global temperatures were almost 0.6C warmer than the 1981-2010 average with the five hottest years all occurring in the last five years. Scientists say this long-term trend is to be expected as the power of CO2 in the atmosphere continues to rise.
The heat has become on governments to turn back trend of emissions growth and take concrete steps to shift economies away from non-renewable fuels. To date, major economies have not stepped up towards the task.
Unusual coalition
Austria has a new government and it is greener than ever.
A right-wing-Green coalition government was sworn in after months of political wrangling. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz' right-wing and anti-immigration People's Party came out on the top in September's election but without sufficient support to take the reins alone.
In an unusual alliance, the Greens accepted to create “painful concessions” to enter government the very first time and drive an ambitious programme of climate policies, including reaching net zero emissions by 2040.
Whether the coalition survives the ruling test will be seen. Others across Europe are watching.
New year, new plan
In her New Year speech, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the German government would “do everything humanly possible” to stop climate change.
But Germany is one of a number of countries to possess missed an EU deadline to submit its national energy and climate plan comprising how it will attain the bloc's 2030 target.
The German government said hello had not yet shared its plan with Brussels because of a delay within the adoption of its climate protection law within the upper house of Parliament.
Quick hits
- Australia's bushfires to cost billions as climate risks rise
- 2023 second warmest year on record, ends hottest decade yet, says EU observatory
- Austria swears in coalition government with strengthened climate plan
- Germany misses EU climate plan deadline
And in climate conversations
- Is the shipping industry's R&D climate fund a Trojan Horse?
- We won't let Germany build a new coal power plant
