Australian vets have welcomed the new Biodiversity Council, to be launched today.
Vets for Climate Action CEO Tara O'Connell said the new council would play an important role in advocating for wildlife and their habitats, which are suffering from the effects of climate change.
"Climate and biodiversity go hand-in hand," Ms O'Connell said. "Climate change is having a direct impact on biodiversity, and loss of biodiversity leads to loss of habitat and loss of animals.
"Veterinarians understand that a healthy environment is essential for the future of people and the animals we need and treasure.
"The State of the Environment report released earlier this year demonstrated the stress that our environment is under, reflecting what many vets have already been seeing as the effects of climate change."
Ms O'Connell, who has previously run international biodiversity conservation programs, said protecting biodiversity helped regulate the climate while also protecting wildlife habitats.
"In order to protect our environment, we also need to address climate change, starting with drastically reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions this decade," Ms O'Connell said.
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