FED: Australia must sign on to targets: Climate Institute

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2007
FED: Australia must sign on to targets: Climate Institute

CANBERRA, Dec 12 AAP - Australia has two days left to show leadership at the Bali climate
change conference by accepting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, an environmental
group says.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been praised for making climate change a top priority
of his new government and today will present documents to the conference to ratify the
current Kyoto Protocol.

But Australia has yet to agree to proposed 2020 targets of between 25 and 40 per cent
of 1990 levels.

John Connor, from The Climate Institute, said Mr Rudd and Climate Change Minister Penny
Wong must accept the targets if it wanted to show true leadership on climate change.

"We're urging the Australian government, Kevin Rudd and the new minister Penny Wong
to show leadership, accept the olive branch that's been really offered from some of the
developing countries," Mr Connor told the Nine Network today.

"They're prepared to have long-term cuts ... by 2020.

"It is critical that Australia shows some leadership over these coming days."

Mr Rudd has said Australia will wait until it receives a report by economist Ross Garnaut
next year before it sets short-term emission reduction targets.

Mr Connor claimed Australia would fail to reach good environmental outcomes if it delayed
setting targets.

"If we don't have some guidance ... then we could go all over the place, this isn't
a trade or a business negotiation, if we treat it that way and hold things close to our
chest we are not going to get a great outcome," he said.

"We're hoping that Kevin Rudd will listen to leaders from Europe, China and the developing
world to join in on this.

"This is a real opportunity for leadership ... here's a key chance to really help swing
these negotiations."

AAP sld/rl/jt/jlw

KEYWORD: CLIMATE BALI CONNOR

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