Fed: Government left behind on climate change: Garrett

AAP General News (Australia)
04-09-2007
Fed: Government left behind on climate change: Garrett

SYDNEY, April 9 AAP - Labor environment spokesman Peter Garrett says the government
has been left behind on the issue of climate change.

Mr Garrett said the dire predictions that droughts, floods and storms will worsen while
sea levels rise have exposed the complacency and denial that have hamstrung the government
on the issue, The Australian newspaper reports.

He also said the focus on China's projected carbon emissions, at the expense of an
Australian action plan, did not encourage neighbouring nations to embrace change.

Mr Garrett warned that modest initiatives, such as Australia's proposed deforestation
action program, were no substitute for a comprehensive strategy.

Australia was missing the economic and environmental opportunities that were emerging
as the rest of the world faced up to the issue of climate change, he said.

"Initiatives of this kind are both welcome and necessary but in no way are they the
whole of what this government should be doing on climate change," Mr Garrett said.

Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull will discuss the government's $200 million plan
to stop wholesale logging of rainforest with his Indonesian counterpart Rachmat Witoelar
today.

"If the world could halve the rate of global deforestation we could reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by ... almost 10 times the emissions reductions that could be achieved under
(the Kyoto Protocol), which aims to reduce global emissions by one per cent," Mr Turnbull
said in a statement.

AAP sk/goc/clf

KEYWORD: CLIMATE GARRETT

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