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Australia ratifies Kyoto Protocol

Posted at 6:36 AM on 03 Dec 2007

On his very first official day in office today, new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ratified the Kyoto Protocol, committing his country to deep emissions cuts and putting ever more peer pressure on the United States -- the only industrialized nation still holding out on Kyoto ratification. Full official ratification for Australia is still 90 days away since the U.N. has to do its bureaucratic waiting thing, but Australia has done its part to commit to emissions reductions under the treaty. "Australia's official declaration today that we will become a member of the Kyoto Protocol is a significant step forward in our country's efforts to fight climate change domestically and with the international community," Rudd said. Today is also the start of the U.N. climate conference in Bali, Indonesia, where the nations of the world hope to hammer out a successor to the Kyoto treaty which expires in 2012.

sources: The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Bloomberg News

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Comments: (1 comment)

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..the ONLY industrialize nation to hold out?

When Grist states that the United States is "the only industrialized nation still holding out on Kyoto ratification" they ignore the other major villian in the Kyoto debate. When are we going to start holding China accountable?

It's unlikely we would be able to get China to reduce CO2 emissions to 1990 levels, and their non-participation in Kyoto is not grounds for the U.S. to not sign. But the Kyoto signees need to start demanding action to slow and reverse China's raging growth in CO2 emissions.

Are we afraid that the price of our clothing, electronics, toys and even hiking gear will increase?

Assuming that China is even part of the Bali agreement, waiting for a new accord to get approved by each government is too long to wait for China. Perhaps it's time to ask (insist) China reduce to 2002 emissions levels - or 2005 levels or even 2007. Something. Anything.

And perhaps the signees need to start applying some teeth to Kyoto and to include some teeth in the Bali agreement. It gets back to free trade vs. fair trade. But in this case it's not to protect jobs. Instead it's to protect every nation's next generation.

by Rich Fein at 9:14 AM on 04 Dec 2007

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