Rudd to bring Aus in from cold
2007-12-09 09:19
Sydney - Australia's new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd makes his world debut on Tuesday at the UN climate change conference in Bali, assured of a warm welcome for bringing his country in from the cold on global warming.
Rudd dramatically reversed his predecessor's policy and ratified the Kyoto Protocol in his first official act after being sworn in a week ago.
It grabbed the headlines as the Bali summit opened, isolating US President George W Bush as leading the only major country to have refused to ratify the pact, which aims to curb emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for warming the Earth's atmosphere.
Rudd will again take the spotlight when he flies in on Tuesday for the summit, where the world's leading experts are trying to thrash out a roadmap for talks on a successor treaty when Kyoto runs out in 2012.
"Rarely has a prime minister been granted the opportunity to become a celebrated world leader within weeks of being elected," said Clive Hamilton of the Australia Institute think-tank.
"He will receive an ovation like no other in his life, one that will reverberate in headlines around the world."
Global warming - which scientists say is shrinking polar ice caps, causing sea levels to rise and threatening plant and animal species - is widely seen as one of the most serious long-term threats facing the world today.
But with opinion sharply divided on how best to tackle the threat, Rudd has sought to position himself as a key player, telling Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao he is ready to act as a bridge between the developed and developing world.
"In my discussions with the Chinese prime minister in the last few days, and with others, I've indicated that we'll be doing whatever we can to try and bridge the gap between developed and developing countries," Rudd told reporters at the weekend.
The former diplomat is a fluent Mandarin speaker and reportedly made the offer in a 20-minute conversation with the Chinese leader in his own language.
But the honeymoon in Bali may be short, with Rudd already having shied away from an early commitment on a firm 2020 target for cutting greenhouse gases.
The European Union, poorer countries led by China, and environmental activists are urging the rich world to commit to reducing their polluting emissions by 25 to 40% by 2020.
Rudd said on Saturday he would not commit to the target at this stage of the UN talks and would wait until his government receives a report on the projected economic impact of such cuts next year.
The Bali talks would involve "horse-trading", he said.
"It means that you sit down with other governments and work out what's necessary for the planet, what's necessary for everyone to contribute, including Australia.
"Therefore, frankly, it would be irresponsible from that point of view to go out there and put a number on the table straight away," he said.
Environmental group WWF said Australia had sent an early positive signal to the Bali conference by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol but that Rudd had clouded his government's stance.
"We got a very good signal in the ratification. What we need is a real clarification of its (targeted) level of emissions," said WWF global climate change programme director Hans Verolme.
However, delegates from about 188 nations meeting in Bali do not have to commit to legally binding targets at this stage as they try to agree a format for negotiations which should be concluded by 2009.
One of the key issues to be addressed - and one where Rudd has offered to play a role - is the split between some developed countries and the developing world over the approach to be adopted.
Developing countries, including major polluters such as China and India, resolutely oppose being included in binding emissions targets.
They argue the historical blame for global warming lies with industrialised nations and mandatory curbs will hurt their own rise out of poverty.