Howard commits $100m to climate technologies. 12/01/2006. ABC News Online

Prime Minister John Howard has committed an extra $100 million over five years to support clean air industry development projects.

Mr Howard made the announcement during his address to a session of a six-nation Asia-Pacific climate conference in Sydney.

He has told the delegates that countries have a responsibility to address climate change issues, poverty reduction and economic growth in tandem.

"We should not make the mistake, as many have made, of imagining that a choice has to be made between economic growth and greenhouse gas emission reduction," he said.

"That is a choice that our societies will not make.

"Our societies require that we find solutions to these issues that maintain the momentum of economic growth."

He says some of the extra money Australia will contribute will be directed towards developing renewable energy technology.

"Twenty-five per cent of this additional $100 million will be specifically earmarked for renewable projects," he said.

"Of course, renewable projects will be able to compete on an equal footing for a share of the remaining $75 million of the additional contribution that Australia will make."

A plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is expected to emerge from the first meeting of the Asia-Pacific climate partnership later today.

The summit has formulated an agreement that supports the use of coal and looks to technology to control pollution.

Big business would be expected to accept much of the responsibility and cost of cleaning up the environment.

Australia and the US have both refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gases.

They say this new partnership will provide a more effective solution, embracing technology like geosequestration, which involves burying carbon pollution.

India, China, Japan and South Korea are the other members of the pact.
High costs

CSIRO chief of energy technology David Brockway says research is being done on ways to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions but the energy sector is being deterred by high costs.

Dr Brockway has backed the approach being taken by nations at the Asia-Pacific Climate meeting in Sydney, saying a variety of solutions to climate change need to be explored.

He says various possible solutions are being discussed at the summit but they are not likely to be widely implemented for some time.

"Technologies that will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from both coal-fired generation and gas-fired generation will probably be available within five to 10 years," he said.

"Some of them are available now but they are very high-cost and what we need to do is undertake research which will reduce that cost so that the cost increment on power generation is kept to a minimum."

But Greenpeace spokeswoman Catherine Fitzpatrick says the Government's contribution reflects their lack of commitment to the issue.

"$100 million, compared to the $150 million they've committed over five years to upgrade the Hunter coal line, really shows that they're not serious about tackling climate change," she said