APEC Leaders' Sydney Declaration on Climate Change

APEC Leaders' Sydney Declaration on Climate Change, Energy Security and Clean Development

E&OE...

Speech by John Howard: Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to inform you that arising out of the first Leaders Retreat, leaders of the APEC economies have endorsed, and I am releasing simultaneously with this announcement, the Sydney Declaration dealing with climate change and energy matters. We all recognise that meeting energy needs and development priorities, while addressing climate change, represents a major international challenge. I'm pleased to report that in the Sydney Declaration the leaders have moved to forge a new international consensus. We are serious about addressing in a sensible way, compatible with our different economic needs, the great challenge of climate change.

Each of us comes to the APEC table with different perspectives, reflecting both our diversity and our strengths, and yet in the Sydney Declaration we have agreed on three very important and quite specific things. Firstly, the need for a long term aspirational, global, emissions reduction goal, and that is enshrined in the Sydney Declaration.

Secondly, the need for all nations, no matter what their stage of development, to contribute according to their own capacities and their own circumstances to reducing greenhouse gases.

Thirdly, we have agreed on specific APEC goals on energy intensity and forestry and we've also agreed on the important role of clean coal technologies. This demonstrates the relevance of APEC, it demonstrates that APEC is very much alive and kicking, it does illustrate again the strength in consensus based diversity, and informal meetings and this Declaration does transcend a number of international divisions, in particular I note, that is the first such gathering which has included both the United States and China in coming together regarding the aspirational goal.

This meeting will add to the momentum which will be continued at the meeting being convened by President Bush in Washington, at the end of this month of major economies, to deal with climate change issues and also the very important United Nations meeting which is to take place in Bali in December, which will be hosted by Indonesia. The Sydney Declaration has been adopted. I thank leaders of the APEC economies. It's a very important milestone in the march towards a sensible international agreement on climate change, which recognises the need to make progress, but also recognises that different economies bring different perspectives to addressing the challenge of climate change.

I will be issuing a Leaders Declaration tomorrow, and will as I've already indicated, be conducting a full scale press conference at the conclusion of the APEC Meeting. And I'm releasing simultaneously with this statement a detailed outline of the Sydney Declaration and the Declaration itself. Thank you.

[ends]

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