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