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Climate Change

Australia balks at net zero as climate turns up heat on Morrison

Critics say pressure to act will only build as issue hurts Canberra's global image

A woman with a burning pram sits outside Parliament House in Canberra, during an Extinction Rebellion climate protest on Aug. 10.   © Extinction Rebellion/AAP

SYDNEY -- A pram was set on fire, an activist glued her hands to the pavement, and a parliamentary building was spray painted with graffiti. It was no ordinary day in Australia's capital, and the catalyst for the disruption in Canberra was climate change -- or, more specifically, the Australian government's perceived unwillingness to address it.

Protesters swarmed Parliament House earlier this week to demand more action by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who refused to commit the country to a 2050 net zero emissions target following the release of an alarming United Nations report.

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