Are we really doing our bit?

Milton Ulladulla Times
Wednesday 31/10/2007 Page: 16

STORY: Matthew Nott*
CLIMATE Change is such an urgent issue that it demands changes to individual behaviour. Solutions will be found as communities get together to come up with strategic action plans. However, climate change will not be beaten without government action. The hole in the ozone layer is a case in point. We did not fix the problem by asking people to stop using chloroflurocarbons (CFC). We did it through _government legislation. People were forced to stop using CFCs.

When it comes to climate change, we need targets; incentives to reach targets; the big polluters to show leadership; and we need those who can afford it to get the ball rolling. It was this approach that was discussed in Kyoto in 1997, an international meeting convened by the United Nations. The delegates to Kyoto declared that industrial nations should reduce their CO2 emissions by 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels - by 2012. Developing countries would be obligated to cut their emissions in the subsequent round of the treaty in 2012.

Australia negotiated hard for lenient targets, and were successful. Under Kyoto, Australia was allowed to increase its emissions by 108 per cent compared with 1990 levels. On Environment Day 2002, John Howard announced that Australia would not ratify the Kyoto agreement. Why did our Prime Minister object?Firstly, the Prime Minister tells us that joining Kyoto will damage the economy and cost jobs? On the other hand, we are told that we are meeting our Kyoto targets, and the economy is booming. Unemployment is at a 30 year low. It's hard to put that together.

Secondly, Australia will not join Kyoto until developing countries like India and China show leadership. Currently Chinas renewable energy target is much higher than Australia's and increasing. China is already showing leadership.

There are 400 million people in India and China who are without electricity but can we expect them to reduce their emissions before we do? We are told that Kyoto is Euro-centric. Did you know that Austria's national emissions are lower than the state of Victoria's? Finally, we are told that Kyoto is ineffective, and deeply flawed. Tim Flannery would certainly agree that Kyoto is not without fault, but states that we do not have the time to wait for a new Kyoto in 2012. We need targets.

Australia is set to come close to meeting its Kyoto obligation. That strikes me as strange. Over the last 10 years, Australia has increased its emissions by 25 per cent. Australia's emissions are set to continue rising. Australia's emissions as a nation (20 million) exceed Indonesia's emissions (200 million). We are a high polluting nation. Are we REALLY meeting our international obligations?

* Matthew Nott is the founder of Clean Energy for Eternity