UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Thematic Debate: ‘Climate Change as a Global Challenge’
1 August 2007
HE The Hon Robert Hill, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australian to the United Nations
(As delivered)
Madam President
Global warming is a serious global challenge. Australia is committed to doing what it can as part of global efforts to fight climate change.
Australia has introduced an extensive portfolio of climate-related domestic policies and measures, investing some $3.4 billion since 1996. In 1998, we became the first country to establish a dedicated national climate change organisation. In 2001, we became the first to set a mandatory target for renewable energy. And on 17 July, Prime Minister Howard announced that Australia would adopt a ‘cap and trade’ emissions trading system to help us substantially reduce our domestic greenhouse gas emissions.
Low-emission technologies will be vital in mitigating climate change. The Australian
Government has co-funded with business some $3 billion in low-emission technology projects. These include the world's largest solar power station and the world’s largest carbon sequestration project. Australia is also investing in clean coal technologies where, as a major producer and exporter, we have a particularly crucial role. Our efforts mean that, through national means alone, Australia is tracking to meet the target we pledged to at Kyoto. Australia is committed to managing its emissions on a long-term basis. Australia will set, in 2008, a long-term aspirational goal for reducing emissions that will be environmentally and economically robust.
Madam President
While actions to curb our own emissions are important, Australia’s emissions represent only 1.5 per cent of the global total. It is clear that climate change demands an effective and broad-based international response.
There are five pillars to Australia’s international climate change approach.
First, Australia supports the negotiation of an effective international framework 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 calls for progress towards a new global framework through all available avenues, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We welcome the US initiative to convene a series of meetings of major economies. Australia would like negotiations towards a new global agreement to be launched at the UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Bali in December.
The second pillar of our approach has been to make climate change the key focus for the Asian-Pacific leaders at the APEC Summit in September in Sydney. APEC
accounts for 60 per cent of the world's energy demand, and across the group, demand is expected to double by 2030. At the heart of the discussions in September will be the economic aspects of climate change.
The third pillar is the effort Australia is making on low-emissions technology through the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. The Partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and the United States – together represent over half of the world’s economy, population and energy use. The Partnership already has more than 90 collaborative projects, with the public and private sectors working together to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies.
The fourth pillar is our action to avoid deforestation in developing countries through Australia’s $ 200 million Global Initiative on Forests and Climate. Deforestation represents some 20 per cent of global emissions, so actions that avoid deforestation and promote reforestation have great potential to mitigate climate change. As part of this initiative, Australia hosted a successful High-level Meeting on Forests and Climate in Sydney from 23 to 25 July, with participation from over 65 countries. We would welcome further discussion of this issue at the Secretary-General’s High-level Event on Climate Change on 24 September.
And finally, the fifth pillar is working bilaterally with the United States, China and other key countries to advance practical responses to climate change, including through science and technology cooperation and assistance to vulnerable developing countries in adapting to climate change.
Madam President
We must intensify our collective efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. And we must do so in a manner that supports economic growth and poverty reduction, that is fair and effective, and that recognises economic disparities. Australia is committed to playing its part.