Climate change requires 'global solution'.


The head of one of the world's biggest coal exporters says Australia can have no impact on climate change, no matter what it does to reduce greenhouse gas emissions nationally.
The chief executive of Xstrata Coal, Peter Coates, addressed a climate forum hosted by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia in Sydney this morning.
Mr Coates says coal is the only long-term viable solution to the world's energy needs and any attempt to tackle climate change must include large developing nations.
"Renewables are important," he said.
"But they will always operate around the fringes or with the current technology they'll operate around the fringes of baseload power, whether that be coal or nuclear, and climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution.
"I stress whatever we do just in Australia will have absolutely no impact on world climate."