AUSTRALIA could become an "outlier" on the world stage for inaction on climate change, if President-elect Joe Biden proceeds with his plan for the US to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
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University of Newcastle Associate Professor in Human Rights and Law, Amy Maguire, said Mr Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' mandate to unify the country and take action on COVID-19, racial injustice and climate change may have a ripple effect across the globe.
"His administration will likely re-engage with some international processes that Trump fought out of," Associate Professor Maguire said.
"Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord, Biden has committed to rejoining it as soon as he's in office.
"That's a move that would leave Australia as quite an outlier, because it's an agreement that tries to push the countries of the world to make binding emission reduction targets."
Associate Professor Maguire said Mr Biden's victory may also boost the strength and cooperative nature of global institutions.
"What we've seen under Trump is an America-first narrative and a really unpredictable approach to dealing with problems of global concern, whereas under Biden I think we can expect to see a reinvestment in international institutions that Australia is very definitely committed to and really keen on," she said.
"For example, Australia is finishing up its first ever term on the United Nations Human Rights Council, which Trump trashed and then pulled the US out of.
"If a Biden administration reinvests in those sorts of institutions, then Australia will welcome that, because they're the main forums through which we can hope to influence the behaviour of more powerful countries like China."
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It is "very important" to see race relations improve, but "prospects of any president as an individual making significant changes to a deeply divided society, I think, they're low", although she said Ms Harris was in a unique position to show leadership.
"I think Trump took advantage of whatever opportunity he saw to play up division, but I genuinely don't think that he can be held responsible for what's going on as an individual," she said.
"I think the society has entrenched structural problems.
"There is work to be done around understanding the truths of histories and how those historical and contemporary experiences of racialised communities... have led to the divisions that exist in society now.
"The environment there is probably not going to favour effective engagement with it until the political climate is less divisive."
There is no majority in the Senate and Mr Biden will have to be a "very effective bipartisan worker", she said.
Trump hasn't yet indicated his next move.
"There's no way that he reached the position he reached without the considerable support of Republicans at every level of government.
"They are set up now for the potential that in 2024 the Republican candidate is another Trump and potentially a more politically savvy Trump."