Australia, Climate Change and the Global South

Australia’s Middle Power Approach Towards Climate Change in Pacific Island

“…By committed to the treaty, Australia is taking climate responsibilities into higher level. It committed to cut the greenhouse gas emissions, to act accordance with the principle of common (but differentiated) responsibilities, to provide technological and financial support to developing countries and to acknowledge and respond to the needs of developing countries (which PICs are included) (Elliott, 2011).…”

“…One questionable feature of being claimed as middle power is aside of being the supporting role for numbers of international world consensus, the foreign middle power activism it holds can also directly oppose the interest of the pacific island as a cost of not being the great ones who may enforce certain action to all parties. This reinforced by the fact that Australia has always reflected some balance between protecting or advancing national interests and a commitment to helping those who are in need (Elliott, 2011). In one report there was a declining number of climate aid and adaptation support in the region in 2011 because of Australia's drastic movement to reduce its supports whilst it is the single largest provider for this case (Betzold, 2016).…”