Peter Garrett

The emission of CO2 is one of the greatest dangers to our planet. Climate change threatens millions of people and could potentially endanger thousands of places all over the world.

One of those places is Kakadu in Northern Australia. The indigenous people of Australia have been living there for thousands of years, and it is one of my personal favourite places, where I have been going for many years.

Today, Kakadu is a model for sustainable tourism, creating jobs for Aboriginal people, who share their culture with visitors. But sea-level rise due to climate change is threatening Kakadu with the intrusion of saline water, which could cause serious damage to this huge freshwater ecosystem that has a history dating back many thousands of years.

Developed countries and their governments, especially, have a responsibility to reduce CO2 emissions to help prevent climate change. We must take this very seriously, and it will be important for us to co-operate internationally to reach a common goal for emissions reductions.

My hope for the future is that everybody, including governments, will take responsibility, so that we can leave a planet to our children and the next generations that is safe and has not been irreversibly damaged by climate change.