NationStates Jolt Archive


Australia signs up to Kyoto agreement

Ariddia
04-12-2007, 18:37
Australia yesterday joined the fold of rich countries committed to tackling climate change by signing the Kyoto agreement to limit CO2 emissions, at once distancing itself from the US and ending a 10-year diplomatic exile on the issue.

The decision on the first day of the UN conference in Bali follows the election last week of a new government which has promised to address climate change. It was applauded by delegates from many of the 189 countries who have arrived in Indonesia to start negotiations on a follow-up treaty to come into force in 2012.

Yesterday the US, now the only developed country not to have signed up to Kyoto, said it intended to be "very open and flexible" in the talks, which will continue for 11 days in the Indonesian resort island.

(link (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/dec/04/climatechange.bali))
Imperio Mexicano
04-12-2007, 18:39
I doubt the U.S. will follow suit.
Pelagoria
04-12-2007, 20:30
About time :D lets hope the US will come to its senses soon and sign it too :)
Demented Hamsters
05-12-2007, 03:16
Well done Oz. US losing support on all fronts it appears. It was inevitable, just wish it'd happened a bit earlier which might have helped limit the clusterfuck that is the Bush admin.

Rudd had to do this of course. He promised he would so during the election campaign. When this conference started if he had backed out, it would have given the opposition a large amount of ammo to use against him.