The First Real Step in a Multilateral Dialogue on Climate Change
During the past few days we have seen our Prime Minister exercised his diplomatic weight to the climate change debate taking place in the United Nations. Addressing the UN General Assembly, Mr Kevin Rudd called on leaders of the world to look beyond their own self interest to reach international agreement both in global economic reform and climate change.
Tackling the problem head on, Mr Rudd criticised the slow pace of action on climate change and said the disputes between the developed and developing countries must end. He stated: “The truth is all our governments need to reach beyond their self interest and instead fashion a grand bargain between the developed and developing countries of the world. It is we who must find solutions to the problems we face, build consensus around those solutions and implement those solutions.”
One year has passed since the release of the Garnaut Climate Change Review. Its anniversary is a timely opportunity for both sides of politics to start negotiating and deciding on an agreement. This is in Australia’s national economic and security interest.
In a public lecture given at the Australian National University last week, Professor Garnaut said: “The approaches of the Review to the science, and the uncertainty surrounding it, have been influential. The Review accepted the views of mainstream science ‘on a balance of probabilities’. There is a chance that it is wrong. But it is just a chance. To heed instead the views of the small minority of genuine sceptics in the relevant scientific communities would be to hide from reality. It would be imprudent beyond the normal limits of human irrationality.”
There has been significant support for the Garnaut recommendations such as Australia reducing emission entitlements by 25 percent from 2000 levels by 2020 and 90 percent by 2050. The Federal Government and Opposition have accepted the Review’s approach to conditional and unconditional targets for 2020. The Prime Minister has indicated willingness to seek a mandate at the next election to tighten old 2050 targets from 60 percent to a larger reduction.
Australia’s new engagement on climate change will culminate at the UN conference in Copenhagen this December. A post-2012 agreement on climate change needs to be comprehensive, effective and fair.
To be comprehensive, it needs to include all major emitters, and broaden the number of countries taking on commitments. To be effective, it needs to deliver real emission reductions. To be fair, countries need to take on comparable commitments and actions, considering their national circumstances.
In a speech delivered to the Lowy Institute for International Policy, the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Penny Wong stated:
“In securing global agreement, we cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. We need to take it one step at a time, not letting ourselves point the finger of blame, but rather building trust, and building confidence in the outcome we need. An agreement that looks perfect on paper, but that remains unratified and unimplemented by its signatories, will do nothing for our planet.”
References: Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, Australia’s Contribution to a Global Agreement on Climate Change, Lowy Institute for International Policy, 20/04/2009; Professor Ross Garnaut, One year after the Garnaut Climate Change Review, Australian National University, 14/09/09; Emma Rodgers, Rudd sticks to script at UN, ABC News, 24/09/09.