Federal election 2022: Meaningful climate action defines small 'g' green election

As counting began and votes rolled in, it was the most dynamic and nailbiting race in the past two decades, and there are plenty of threads on which to grasp when defining the rollercoaster ride.

Among them the intriguing teal independents, the votes for women candidates, the rejection of extreme outliers, the final reckoning on government probity and, most consistent of all across the board, climate action.

More specifically, the lack thereof in a time of unprecedented threats to Australia's fragile and volatile climate, as well as the country's standing in worldwide action to address the climate crisis.

And this has been despite the best efforts of the major parties which could both, in their own ways, have moved to address climate action from a moderate base.

The Coalition, unwilling to expose major divides within its ranks, ran an offensive against change and progression in favour of continuity, economic strength and - let's face it - the mighty forces of coal mining in Australia.

The ALP, meanwhile, unwilling to ignore the ever-present spectre of Julia Gillard's travails around the carbon tax, skirted around climate action as a direct campaign pillar.

And so, it was up to the Greens and the so-called teal independents to lead the way - either through preferences or direct votes - to haul climate action to the forefront of the still-unfolding but largely determined result on Sunday morning.

It was undeniably a green wash-out - that's green with a small 'g', especially in the ACT.

Here in Canberra, the Greens did not fare particularly well in the Senate, due to a low-profile candidate with little traction.

Instead, it was up to independent David Pocock, a Climate 200-backed candidate with a long-proven record on climate action, to fill the void that has felt intractable in past elections, with a long-time conservative tenant and no viable alternative.

Until now.

The Senate now looks set to be the most progressive in history, with massive gains by the Greens across the country, and especially in Queensland - dubbed the "greenslide" by party leader Adam Bandt.

And today, there's more than a little green light shining down, even from the top.

Prime Minister-elect Anthony Albanese had been suitably moderate on climate issues throughout the campaign; as ANU political historian Frank Bongiorno points out, an easy-does-it approach works best in a country learning to accept the importance of environmental action more slowly than other developed countries.

And yet, Mr Albanese used his victory speech to declare an end to the "climate wars" that had defined the political landscape to date.

Indeed, after his victory speech, Mr Albanese returned to Labor's election party and submitted to an impromptu doorstop along the way.

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Reporting to a final question from a reporter from the BBC, Mr Albanese referred to climate change action from his British counterpart Boris Johnson - describing him as "one of the first politicians in the world to raise serious action on climate change".

"[Climate change] is far less controversial in the UK. It shouldn't be controversial here," he said.

"Australian business knows that good action on climate change is good for jobs and good for our economy, and I want to join the global effort."

Perhaps in this moment of newfound victory, Mr Albanese chose his moment to reveal his true colours when it comes to climate action.

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