Australia to press for an alternative to Kyoto Protocol

Australia to press for an alternative to Kyoto Protocol

Australian Environment Minister Ian Campbell has called for an alternate approach to the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol which will recognise the needs of both developed and developing countries. He will raise this issue at the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Montreal, Canada, where almost 190 countries will be represented.

He moots a post-Kyoto Protocol framework, which according to him, is environmentally effective. Citing the Kyoto Protocol as unsuccessful, he said a "son of Kyoto" deal and setting of timelines for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions was not the answer.

He said: “Australia will go to Montreal determined to be a constructive part of building a 2012 (and) post-2012 framework that's comprehensive, that includes all of the major emitters and that is environmentally effective.” He added: “If we don't do that, we will not save the planet from climate change.”

Considered to be an advocate of technological approaches, Mr. Campbell is to urge countries to take other pro-active measures to counter global warming.

At home, Mr. Campbell has received flak from both Labor and the Greens for not taking any action to counter greenhouse gas emissions in Australia.

The United States and Australia were always against Kyoto Protocol saying it was detrimental to economic growth.

Many nations supporting Kyoto want to start negotiations in Montreal to set new curbs till 2012, when Kyoto expires.

On Wednesday, Campbell said that Australia was on track to limit emissions to an 8 percent increase in 1990 levels by 2012, which was its target.

Australia is propagating the use of new technology which it avers is more effective for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It will be the theme when Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, a newly formed body, meets for the first time in mid-January.

Apart from Australia, the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and India are the founding members of this body.