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Australia faces Environmental Challenges
Climate change is a serious global challenge and Australia’s environment is particularly vulnerable to global climate change. Our variable climate and susceptibility to drought, our natural assets such as the Great Barrier Reef, and the proximity of our urban settlements to coastal regions mean potentially significant impacts for Australia.
Australia’s economy needs therefore to prepare for a carbon-constrained future. Our economy – with its historical reliance on fossil fuels, agriculture and low energy prices – requires significant structural and technological change if we are to meet the needs of a carbon-constrained future.
Australia is currently on track to achieve its target of 108 per cent of 1990 levels of emissions over the period 2008-12. This has not been easy despite the heavy investments that have been made to achieve this outcome.
The Australian Government has a long term aspirational goal for reducing emissions, to enhance investment certainty and contribute to international efforts. In this regard, the Government will introduce an emissions trading scheme, no later than 2012, as the primary mechanism for achieving a long term emissions reduction goal. The emissions trade will reduce uncertainty, improve the investment environment and strengthen the incentives for low emissions technology development and deployment. It will also encourage new economic opportunities in low emissions technologies, energy efficiency and through carbon offsets such as forest plantations.
Australia is also pursuing effective international responses to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions at concentrations that will avoid dangerous levels of climate change. An effective international framework is one that includes all major emitters, takes account of differing national circumstances and goals for sustainable development and allows countries to adopt a range of policies to reduce their emissions. Australia supports efforts to develop a global consensus on an appropriate common goal for reducing emissions. But this does not necessarily mean implementing common policies and measures; nor should it preclude a range of approaches to constraining greenhouse gas emissions.
Australia will continue to lead on climate change, internationally and in the Asia Pacific region. The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, has placed climate change on the agenda for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting in September 2007. This meeting represents an historic opportunity to build international consensus on practical and effective ways to tackle climate change. Australian-led initiatives such as the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, the Global Initiative on Forests and Climate and the Australia-China Joint Coordination Group on Clean Coal Technologies serve as international models.
Similarly, cooperating in adaptation to climate change can also serve as an important building block for wider international arrangements. The Australian Government has been working to strengthen the capacity of Pacific Island nations to adapt to climate change. The 2007-08 overseas development aid budget included $33 million for partnerships with international organisations on climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives.
Australia is therefore contributing to achieving global reductions in emissions that will avoid dangerous climate change. Our domestic actions support this objective and will maintain a strong domestic economy. Australia will also contribute through practical and cooperative approaches, using all available international channels, to securing an effective and comprehensive global response.
Luke Williams, Australian Ambassador to Portugal
The above article was published on 2 August 2007, in the Portuguese newspaper “Diario Economico”