APEC has “no future” if leaders fail to agree on firm emissions targets, warns Australian opposition leader, Rudd

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The Prime Minister moved to pre-empt criticism that the APEC leaders’ meeting had failed on climate change before it had even begun, reported The Australian (3/9/2007, p.1).

Post-Kyoto consensus: Howard initially proposed climate change as a topic for the APEC world leaders’ agenda, but yesterday he conceded he had no hope of forcing APEC’s 21 member nations - particularly the developing countries - to agree to binding emissions targets. Kevin Rudd warned that APEC “had no future” if the leaders failed to agree to firm emissions targets. “What I would like to see the APEC meeting in Sydney do is develop a consensus on a post-Kyoto international framework that attracts participation by all emitters,” Howard said.

Harbour cruise for leaders: The APEC summit began yesterday with meetings of officials and a cruise on Sydney Harbour for business delegates. By week’s end, all 21 international leaders would be in Sydney. The intenstive security clamp-down in Sydney was essential to ensure the safety of the APEC summit, and any inconvenience should be blamed on those who use violence to send a message, Howard said.

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Filed under Australian election, Climate change policy, apec