Media Statement - 29th October 2007
Prime Minister, John Howard once again today tried to duck and weave around his refusal to ratify Kyoto.
Mr Howard conveniently sweeps to one side the fact that it was his government which originally signed Kyoto in 1997, saying at the time it was good for the economy and the environment.
Mr Howard then back-flipped and has made Australia one of only three countries of the original 179 that signed Kyoto which have refused to ratify – the others being the United States and Kazakhstan.
It is reported that as recently as six weeks ago (at five minutes to midnight) Mr Turnbull recommended in Federal Cabinet to Mr Howard that the government ratify Kyoto.
But Mr Howard declined this opportunity to make Australia part of the climate change solution, not just part of the climate change problem.
The Howard Government’s confusion on Kyoto is in contrast to Labor’s clear cut position on Kyoto:
- If elected, a Rudd Labor Government would proceed immediately to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
- Federal Labor recognises that the Kyoto Protocol for the current commitment period (2008-2012) imposes carbon targets on developed countries while providing developing countries with other mechanisms (such as the Clean Development Mechanism) as a means of enhancing their own greenhouse gas reduction programs up to 2012 and beyond.
- Federal Labor believes that leadership must come first from developed economies, including Australia and the United States, as a statement of developed country bona fides in order to enhance developing country acceptance of binding commitments for the second commitment period beyond 2012.
- Federal Labor in Government would be an active diplomatic participant in the December 2007 Bali Conference (and the ensuing negotiating process) with the objective of agreeing as soon as possible to further binding commitments for post 2012 - for both developed and developing countries.
- Appropriate developing country commitments for the post-2012 commitment period under a binding international agreement would be an essential prerequisite for Australian support for such an agreement.
- Any future agreement must reduce emissions and involve all major emitters, recognising common but differentiated responsibilities in terms of targets and timelines within the commitment period.
- Federal Labor supports the current framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol as the best means for continued international engagement on climate change.
Mr Howard continues to evade responsibility for failing to provide the necessary national and international leadership for Australia during Kyoto’s first commitment period – thereby reducing international pressure on China to enter into full international negotiations now for the future Kyoto commitment period.