Australia's Role in International Climate Negotiations: Kyoto and Beyond

摘要

Australia has played a somewhat enigmatic role in international climate changennegotiations. A story (apparently not merely apocryphal) had Australia’s EnvironmentnMinister in Rio in 1992 almost signing the Framework Convention on Climate Changen(FCCC) accidentally on behalf of Afghanistan, and perhaps this was an omen of anrocky road to come. Australia took a tough stance during the negotiation of the KyotonProtocol, and secured for itself what it saw as a realistic target, but which othersn(especially NGOs) saw as generous, particularly because of provisions for reductionnin land clearing. It subsequently refused to ratify Kyoto until a change of governmentnin November 2007, yet it is one of the few parties that has come close to meeting itsntarget of 108 percent of 1990 emissions.