Anthony Albanese, Australia’s new prime minister, elected on Saturday 21/5, has promised significant changes to the country’s climate policy, which also boasts one of the highest emissions among rich countries. experiencing a wave of climate-related tragedy.

Albanese is from the now opposition Labor Party (centre left). He defeated Prime Minister Scott Morrison from the Liberal-National coalition and will be sworn in on Monday (23/5). However, it is not yet clear whether his party will have a majority in parliament.

In his victory speech, the new monarch said Australia “could seize the opportunity to become a renewable energy superpower”. At the same time, pressure is being put to take tougher measures in the face of high coal consumption in the country.

Climate change is a major concern for Australian voters, who have experienced record-breaking three years of bushfires and floods that have killed hundreds of people and billions of animals.

This problem has become even more serious as it converges with a crisis in the cost of housing: It is estimated that one in 25 homes in Australia will not be able to afford fire or flood insurance because they are located in areas considered high. risk.

The combination of these problems is expected to increase social inequalities and create “climate ghettos”: the prices of uninsured homes will fall and vulnerable families will live, unable to defend themselves against extreme weather events.

Meanwhile, among developed countries, Australia is considered one of the least ambitious in climate policy and one of the highest emitters. per person greenhouse gases. The country still relies on coal to generate most of its electricity and is a fossil fuel exporter.

Failing to win re-election, incumbent Prime Minister Morrison has pledged to reduce Australian emissions, but current climate policy is considered one of the key points driving many Australian voters away from the current government. In 2017, there was a famous scene in the country where Morrison took a piece of coal to Parliament and praised the importance of fossil fuels to the Australian economy.

Now, if the Labor Party fails to pass the 76-seat Parliament to a majority, independent lawmakers and the Green Party, which campaigns for radical action on climate change, may gain more leverage in shaping government policy in this area.

This may force the new Albanian prime minister to adopt a policy of deeper changes, especially with regard to coal – so far, the new monarch has rejected calls to block licenses for new coal mines or for the country to stop using this fuel.

In an interview with the BBC shortly after his election victory, Albanese said Australia “has the opportunity to end the country’s climate wars” and promised more ambitious cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

“Australian companies know that good action (against) climate change is good for the economy and (creation) of jobs, and I want to join the global effort.”

Albanese will lead Australia’s first Labor government in about a decade.

This Monday Albanese will travel to Tokyo (Japan) for a conference of executives from Japan, India and the US, a group known by the acronym Quad.

“It will be an opportunity for us to send a message that there is a change in government and policy on issues like climate change,” Albanese said.

The new prime minister is well known in Australian politics and briefly served as deputy prime minister in 2013.