Australia urgently needs to get serious about long-term climate policy – but there’s no sign of that in the election campaign

The federal election should be an earnest contest over the fundamentals of Australia’s climate and energy policies.

Strong global action on climate change is clearly in Australia’s long-term national interest. But it has fallen prey to US President Donald Trump’s disruption of the world order, which has drained global attention from other crucial issues, including climate change.

The Trump administration’s anti-climate actions might energise some to counteract it, but its overall effect will be chilling.