Submission to Senate Inquiry into the Paris Agreement

As psychologists we are concerned not just about the environmental risks and impacts of climate change, but also about its serious psychosocial and mental health consequences.

The individual and collective psychosocial impacts of climate change can be expected to manifest themselves in a greatly altered and diminished quality of life as well as environmental quality, and in the myriad psychological and social costs of living under the shadow of this ongoing environmental stressor.

The APS urges the Australian Government to ratify the Paris Agreement, as they have indicated they will, and to develop strong climate policies that can move Australia rapidly onto an emissions reduction trajectory that is in line with the science of limiting temperature increase to below 1.5C. This will likely require the expertise of behavioural and social scientists who can assist in the development of effective policies, and the public engagement of people across all levels of society to change their behaviour and lifestyle in order to reduce emissions and restore a safe climate.

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