United States President Barack Obama said combating climate change cannot be the work of governments alone – we all have the power to imagine a new future, get involved and make a difference.
Obama issued a challenge for nations to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a memorable speech at The University of Queensland ahead of the G20 Summit in Brisbane saying ‘we cannot forget the need to lead on the global fight against climate change’.
Obama said Australia and the United States are big greenhouse gas emitters – and both countries have to step up. Failure to act would mean increasing temperatures, more extreme and frequent storms, longer droughts, more wildfires and threaten the natural glory of the Great Barrier Reef. “This past summer worldwide was the hottest on record – no nation is immune and every nation has a responsibility to do its part,” he said.