What would President Bernie Sanders mean for Australia?

The US general election is scheduled to take place in November of this year, and the Democrats are about to begin their process for selecting their candidate for president. Polls close in the first contest of the season, the Iowa caucuses, at 12pm on 4 February AEST.

A Sanders presidency would have similarly far-reaching effects globally, not least in Australia — more so than the other Democratic candidates for president.

One obvious point of difference between Sanders and the other Democratic candidates is on foreign policy.

The Green New Deal involves a ten-year mobilisation and investment in building a green economy and dismantling the fossil fuel industry. It includes a plan not just to reduce domestic emissions but reduce emissions in the developing world, including through funds to transfer sustainable technology and assist in transitioning to renewable fuel sources. By ending fossil fuel exports from the US and funding and supporting the efforts of developing countries to shift to renewable energy, Sanders’ plan would reduce global demand for coal.

The Green New Deal is intended to not just address the climate crisis but also the crisis of inequality faced in the US. This will be achieved through a massive public investment in renewable energy, public housing construction, retrofitting existing homes, high-speed rail and other public transport, and public amenities like parks, reforestation and conservation efforts, and increasing the pay and numbers of people engaged in low-carbon care work; all of these issues will be ameliorated, creating a more liveable and equitable society for all.

For many, including myself, there is a strong temptation to give into climate despair as hope of a solution to this crisis is fading. If you feel this way, the prospect of President Bernie Sanders should give some hope that we may halt the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere at levels which will enable us to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

If Bernie Sanders is elected President, his greatest impact in Australia may be by providing a clear example of how this can be achieved.

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