Government pressed on climate change

A GROUP of academics and professionals concerned about climate change has taken out ads in major newspapers urging the federal Government to press for reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
The advertising, funded by the Climate Institute, comes as the Government prepares to announce new measures to tackle climate change.
The ads include messages such as "Gas Emissions From Our Politicians Are Now At A Critical Level" and "It's Time The Government Broke The Drought".
"An effective and credible response requires Australia's national greenhouse gas emissions go down, not up," the institute's chief executive Corin Millais said.
"The Australian Government's current policy has already increased emissions by 10 per cent over the last decade and is set to increase them by a further 17 per cent by 2020."
The institute, chaired by former NSW premier Bob Carr, has released a five-point plan to reduce emissions, which it says is Australia's greatest challenge.
"This commonsense national five-point plan shows that there is a way forward for Australia to address climate change and help stop the most severe impacts," Mr Millais said.
"Climate change can be tackled with a five-point plan that legislates to make emissions go down, not up, sets a carbon price, implements clean energy technologies, delivers on energy savings and places Australia in a leading role to cut emissions worldwide.
"Measures that turn around emissions will also promote opportunities for Australia to become a part of the booming global clean energy market - worth $74 billion last year.
"There are a wide range of solutions like wind, solar and bio-fuels that could be put into place right now."
Under the Kyoto Protocol, the global agreement on greenhouse gas emissions which the federal Government has refused to sign, Australia was given a target of a 108 per cent increase on 1990 emission levels.
The Government has repeatedly said it is on track to meet that target.
The Federal government was set to invest $230 million in new technologies to produce cleaner energy and programs that will invest in renewable power, media today reported Prime Minister John Howard as saying. The Government would announce details of its climate change investments this week.
The projects would be located in three states, and will include partnerships with companies and state governments.
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