No-No to Kyoto
Prime Minister claims Kyoto vindication
By Dennis Shanahan
29-08-2005
From: The Australian
JOHN Howard claims he has been vindicated over his opposition to the Kyoto Protocol after business groups in New Zealand and Germany demanded their countries quit the agreement as soon as possible and join the Asia-Pacific climate pact.
A coalition of 22,000 New Zealand businesses, under the auspices of the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce and Industry, called on both parties in the New Zealand election to start talks on pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol by 2008 - the earliest possible date to do so.
The chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturers Association of New Zealand, Alasdair Thompson, said compliance had cost companies much more than the Government predicted. It has been estimated that New Zealand may have to spend between $600million and $1.2billion to meet its Kyoto commitments on greenhouse gas emissions instead of gaining carbon credits.
"The Government's carbon credit calculations were incorrect to begin with, and business concern is growing that the latest calculations on the extent of the liability are still wrong," Mr Thompson said.
Germany's industry bodies said last week "the hopes on the Kyoto Protocol were unfortunately not fulfilled" and that consideration for all countries to join the recently agreed six-nation Asia-Pacific Clean Air and Development partnership "after the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012".
The industry group president, Juergen Thumann, said "we could fully use our potential on new climate conversing technologies in international competition with such an alliance".
"Added value and growth, thus new jobs, are also created this way in Germany," he said.
The Prime Minister said yesterday that the calls by the New Zealand and German business groups to join the Asia-Pacific partnership "is a dramatic repudiation of those who say the only way forward on the environment is to sign up lock, stock and a barrel to Kyoto".
Mr Howard said the Coalition's refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol was based on the belief it would hurt Australian industry and cost jobs. He said the experience in New Zealand and Germany would further isolate Labor in Australia because it was "slavishly locked into Kyoto despite the threat it will cost jobs".
Australia and the United States have refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol but have helped establish the new clean air and development partnership which aims to cut greenhouse emissions through technology.
Labor's resources spokesman, Martin Ferguson, has described the Asia-Pacific partnership as a significant economic opportunity and he welcomed Australia's membership. Mr Ferguson said the new partnership - which includes India and China, which are outside the Kyoto pollution restrictions - complements the Kyoto agreement.
Labor's environmental spokesman, Anthony Albanese, said nine US states were uniting to cut greenhouse pollution from power stations "in the absence of national action on climate change".
"State governments in Australia and the US are taking firm action to address climate change in response to inaction from federal governments," he said.
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