Oz Environment Minister - US, Australian Climate Control Action Inevitable

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Australia and the US will have to join an international strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, despite refusing to ratify the Kyoto protocol on global warming, the federal Environment Minister has conceded. Ian Campbell said Australia was "very vulnerable" to climate change, and achieving a comprehensive, worldwide approach to global warming must be a priority for the Government.

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A climate campaigner for Greenpeace, Catherine Fitzpatrick, said actions spoke louder than words. "It's great the Government is recognising it as a serious issue, but it's hard to take them seriously until emissions start going down ... The United States and Saudi Arabia are doing as much as they can to make sure the Kyoto protocol is meaningless, and Australia isn't far behind." The campaign director for the Australian Conservation Foundation, John Connor, said the Government needed to "come to grips with the reality that even though the Kyoto protocol is not sufficient, it's the only game in town".

Emissions from the energy and transport sectors continued to rise, he said, and mandatory measures were needed to curb them. "If the Government is serious about climate change then it needs to be a participant, not a bystander."

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He (ed. - Campbell) also conceded Australia was likely to take part in carbon trading, a market-based scheme that provides profit incentives for industry to reduce carbon emissions. But it is unclear how this would work, since Australia's refusal to ratify the protocol means it is unable to take part in the trading scheme."

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Call-to-ally-with-US-on-greenhouse/2005/01/03/1104601301159.html?oneclick=true