The Albanese government's decision on Australia's 2035 climate pollution reduction target is looming.

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It should be a straightforward choice: protect people or protect big polluters.

In just the past year, we have endured punishing heatwaves, back-to-back floods in Queensland and NSW, drought across parts of South Australia and Victoria, toxic algal blooms killing marine life, and freak storms leaving devastation in their wake.

These are no longer "one-off" events. Because of worsening climate change - caused by burning coal, oil and gas - these events are the new normal, coming harder and faster, and they are already reshaping how and where we live.

The toll on people and communities - particularly those experiencing marginalisation and disadvantage - is catastrophic.

People lose homes. Older people and those with chronic illnesses are pushed to the brink in relentless heat.

Regional and coastal towns face soaring insurance premiums, with some areas slipping towards being uninsurable.

For many, a single climate disaster is enough to condemn them to poverty. And it's not just physical damage. The mental health burden is immense.

Communities reeling from back-to-back disasters are living with anxiety, trauma and uncertainty about the future.

Younger people in particular carry the weight of knowing that, unless action is taken, their generation will face an even harsher climate than today.

This is why the Albanese government's decision this month on Australia's

© Canberra Times