Australia set to blow Kyoto

Thursday, 12 October 2006
Australia set to blow Kyoto target

The Australian Greens today demanded that federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell immediately tell Australians the bad news on this nation's greenhouse gas performance rather than release it at the next international climate meeting in Nairobi next month.

Greens climate change spokesperson Senator Christine Milne said that after shifting position this week, Minister Campbell admitted today that Australia may not meet its Kyoto Protocol greenhouse target of 108 per cent above 1990 levels.

"Minister Campbell's admission today that Australia may not meet its greenhouse gas reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol stands in stark contrast to the confident claims that he and Prime Minister John Howard have made for years that Australia is one of few countries that will meet its target.

"The Howard government has refused to take strong action on climate change for a decade, hiding behind voluntary actions and toothless tigers like the Asia Pacific climate partnership (AP6).

"Now the nation is suffering appalling drought, high temperatures and terrible bush fires, Australians have a right to call the Prime Minister and Minister Campbell to account.

"It's time for Minister Campbell to front the nation and explain why our electricity and heat emissions increased by 43 per cent and our transport emissions increased by 23 per cent from 1990 to 2004.

"Releasing Australia's emission projections from Nairobi is cowardly.

"Leading business delegations to China is no substitute for putting a price on carbon in Australia in line with calls from Australia's leading companies."

Senator Milne raised this matter in Question Time Thursday.