APEC Rift Opens Over Climate Change Debate
Date: 07-Sep-07
Country: AUSTRALIA
Author: Bill Tarrant
China's President Hu Jintao gave only qualified support to
Australia's initiative on climate change, while some developing
nations criticised Australian and US moves to put climate
change at the top of the agenda of the APEC gathering in
Sydney.
US President George W. Bush raised climate change with Hu
during a bilateral in Sydney and said he would support a strong
climate statement by the 21 leaders and urged Hu to do the
same.
"They concluded the importance of addressing this pressing
problem cooperatively and responsibly ... and in a manner that
did not stall or stunt economic growth," said Dan Price, Bush's
deputy national security adviser for international economic
development.
Bush indicated the US would support a "strong leaders'
declaration on climate change" and encouraged the Chinese
leader to do likewise, as well as consider eliminating tariffs
on environmental and clean energy technologies, said Price.
In a rare news conference after meeting Australian Prime
Minister John Howard, Hu said he preferred the UN framework
for handling climate change proposals.
"We very much hope that this Sydney Declaration will give
full expression to the position that the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change would remain the main channel for
international efforts to tackle climate change," Hu said.
The declaration should also reflect UN principles of
"common but differentiated responsibilities" towards lowering
harmful greenhouse gas emissions, he added.
Malaysia Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz said APEC should not
be dealing with emission targets at all. "It should be the UN
and the appropriate forums," she told Malaysian journalists.
Ministers from the Philippines and Indonesia have also
questioned the approach.
A major meeting of top officials from around the world
under the UN framework is set for Indonesia's Bali in
December. Governments hope environment ministers will launch a
two-year series of talks to find a replacement for the Kyoto
agreement.
Australia, as host of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
forum, has put climate change at the top of the agenda.
Its draft declaration calls for a new global framework that
would include "aspirational" targets on lowering greenhouse gas
emissions, which scientists say is causing the climate to
change.
Australia, backed by the United States, says the Kyoto
Protocol is flawed because it does not commit big polluters in
the developing world, such as India and China, to the same kind
of targets as industrialised nations.
Kyoto's first phase runs out in 2012 and the APEC summit is
one of a growing number of efforts to find a formula that
brings rich and developing countries together on climate
change.
TRADE
Trade was also a major topic at APEC on Thursday, with
China calling on developed members of the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) to be more flexible in talks that have
dragged on for six years but which many hope will enter their
final phase this year.
"We must say no to trade protectionism, eliminate trade
barriers and move the Doha Round negotiation towards a
comprehensive and balanced outcome at an early date," Hu said.
The talks which started in 2001 in the city of Doha have
been bogged down by deep divisions over farm subsidies, tariffs
and a host of other issues.
"Clearly, developed countries need to do more but the
rapidly-growing economies in the world need to be there as
well," US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said. "We are
committed and will continue to show flexibility and do all we
can."
Australian Trade Minister Warren Truss welcomed Hu's
comments, but urged Beijing to make concessions.
"It will be very valuable for the talks to have a more
active China around the table," Truss told reporters at APEC.
The issue of product safety saw Asia Pacific ministers
