Why should young Australians care

Australia is the only developed country still experiencing large‑scale deforestation. Destroying native forests accelerates climate change, increasing global temperatures for future generations, causing mass flooding, worsening droughts, and making cities less liveable due to extreme heatwaves.

Forest destruction also kills native animals and plants, erasing the rich biodiversity Australia is known for. Beloved national icons like koalas and black cockatoos are being driven toward extinction.

Pushing wildlife out of their natural habitats forces millions of displaced animals into urban areas, increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases (infections that jump from animals to humans) making pandemics like coronavirus more common.