Roger Hanney
FROM the first Monday of December – nine days after his victory – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali. Eleven days, 198 countries and 10,000 delegates; thanks to 3000 journalists in attendance, the whole world will be watching.
Forecasting change from the other side of the world, the UK’s Guardian newspaper last week ran two lengthy stories – one aptly titled “It’s the environment, John”, the other characterizing “the world’s first climate change election”.
Most Australians are keenly aware of pressured environments and impacts of climate change. Yet for many who wonder what action they can take, answers such as ‘buy a Prius’ or ‘use a washing line’ offer little real incentive. But their collective vote must surely be one of the single biggest acts of grassroots environmentalism in Australian history.
Many Australians don’t yet realize what a dramatic climate change U-turn this country has just taken. Australia is now on course to join Kyoto and actively participate at the climate conference in Bali.
When our representatives deliver a letter to the peak body, signed by Rudd and committing to fully ratify Kyoto, Australia will join a global community in crisis, rather than complain and throw mud from the sidelines. And, significantly, America will be left as the sole developed nation opposed to ratification.
For the first time in years – and on the basis of Rudd’s commitment – Australia will not be locked out of high level talks. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has spoken of alarming and credible climate science setting the political stage “for a real breakthrough — an agreement to launch negotiations for a comprehensive climate change deal that all nations can embrace”.
If such a breakthrough is possible, now is the time. Peer-reviewed research conducted by the Global Carbon Project, the University of East Anglia, UK, and the British Antarctic Survey and published in late October found that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have risen 35 per cent faster than expected since 2000. Scientists attribute this to the decreasing abilities of natural carbon sinks – oceans, forests and soils – and a lack of anticipated decreases in the carbon intensity of the global economy.
Ki-Moon hopes for negotiations on such a deal to be completed by 2009. This shortened time frame is due to a history of unnecessary delay coupled with alarming new observations, indicating that global warming impacts are already much more severe than anticipated.
For these reasons Ki-Moon recently declared climate change a global emergency. He has also insisted that Bali not be used to apportion blame but as the moment when global cooperation must be found to meet key priorities, including incentives to help developing countries move towards mitigation and adaptation. This must include help in providing better funding for clean energy technologies; ways to spur financial flows for adaptation; enhance research and development cooperation, and the transfer of clean technologies, particularly for energy supply and adaptation.
“These are the challenges that lie ahead,” said Ki-Moon, “the Bali Conference will test our resolve to deliver on them.”
