We won't sign Kyoto Treaty, says Australia

Australia remained defiant over the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions today, despite Russia’s decision to approve the deal.

Environment minister Ian Campbell said Australia still believed the protocol - aimed at reducing gasses blamed for causing global warming – did not go far enough in reining in all polluters.

“That would be accepting the argument that you sign on to something that is half-hearted and not likely to deliver a good result,” he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

“What Australia wants to do is engage the major emitters in a comprehensive agreement.”

He said Russia’s move to ratify it would not sway Australia’s stance.

The Kyoto pact will apply only to nations that ratify it.

While 126 countries have ratified the agreement, two major holdouts were Australia and the United States. The US is the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses, and alone accounted for 36% of carbon dioxide emissions in 1990.

Growing industrial powers China and India have also not signed on.

Although it refuses to sign the deal, Australia has slashed its greenhouse emissions close to targets set out for it in the pact.

Environmentalists critical of the position of prime minister John Howard’s conservative government said today that Russia’s ratification was an embarrassment for Australia.

Greenpeace campaign manager Danny Kennedy said Australia’s rejection of the protocol would hurt the nation’s image and economy.

“It’s shameful the prime minister refuses to ratify this while the world is proceeding with this important step,” he said. “Kyoto is just a small step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As an Australian citizen, I’m embarrassed.”

Many climate scientists believe carbon dioxide – produced by burning fossil fuels and other industrial processes – has caused global warming by trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Global climate models show air pollution from industry and traffic will drive up average world temperatures by a degree or two this century. Many scientists are concerned about what that will mean for global weather patterns.