Australia could be “public enemy number one” of UN climate deal
Nobel laureate Professor Peter Doherty warns Australia could hold back COP21 Paris climate talks
Australia could be “public enemy number one” of the United Nations climate change negotiations to be held at the end of the year in Paris, according to a Nobel laureate.
Professor Peter Doherty, a Nobel laureate of medicine, made the comments at a sustainability symposium in Hong Kong where he is representing Australia.
The meeting is held every three years and is being attended by 11 other laureates from around the world who will sign a memorandum with their recommendations for sustainable cities development.
The four-day symposium ran until Saturday, and Doherty said clear messages had emerged on the issues of climate, economics and business.
Doherty said. “People are saying informally that Australia and Canada are emerging as public enemy number one for the Paris talks on climate. No other names are being mentioned. Australia is seen as very much out of touch and out of sync with what’s happening globally.”
The Climate Change Authority (CCA) on Tuesday recommended Australia increase its commitment to reduce 2000-level emissions by 2020 from 5 per cent to 19 per cent, which environment minister, Greg Hunt, described as “onerous”.
Canada has also been criticised for a lack of action on climate change, and for failing to mention climate change in its economic plan.
Doherty said that many countries, particularly in Asia, were “ambitiously and aggressively” taking steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.
According to Doherty, large cities are having a strong impact on climate change with an estimated 75 per cent of CO2 emissions from fossil fuels coming from cities.
The memorandum also calls for energy efficient designs to be used for new buildings, and calls for improvements in public transport networks instead of developing new roads.
Doherty voiced concerns of how difficult it could be to get the Australian government, led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott (pictured), to adopt the recommendation of the symposium, which calls on governments to make climate change mitigation in cities a focus of their policy.
Doherty added: “Too often the focus is on mining and other big polluters, which is important, but so is rapid urbanisation…I don’t think we’re going to get far with the present government leadership.”
The COP21 UN Climate Change Conference is scheduled to take place in the French capital in November and December and a historic binding global climate deal is due to be agreed.
