'New Kyoto' plan shows govt ignorance - Brown

'New Kyoto' plan shows govt ignorance - Brown

It is clear from Treasurer Peter Costello's interview on Lateline last night that the government is ignorant of the Kyoto process, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"What the government is proposing with 'New Kyoto' is in fact exactly the same as the Kyoto protocol as it now stands. New Kyoto is a furphy," said Senator Brown.

"The Kyoto protocol, like every other international treaty since World War II, allows developing countries more time to adjust than countries like Australia. The Treasurer's interview indicated that the government supports this approach, but apparently somebody forgot to tell Peter Costello that Kyoto was negotiated and agreed to on that basis in 1997."

"China, India and Brazil all ratified the Kyoto protocol in August 2002, along with scores of other developing nations. It is Australia and the United States which are preventing the Kyoto protocol from being a truly global initiative, not developing nations like China," Senator Brown said.

"The government's position is that Australia won't sign up to anything until the rest of the world is on board. If just one country took the same approach Australia would never have to sign up to anything."

"The fact is that discussions about 'New Kyoto' are on right now in Nairobi, but Australia isn't at the negotiating table because we haven't ratified the Kyoto protocol. Prime Minister should accept Al Gore's advice and ratify Kyoto because that would put huge pressure on President George W. Bush to do the same," said Senator Brown.

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