Australia Committed to Tackling Climate Change

Dear Sir
I refer to an article, Inconvenient Truth to Aussies, in the December 14 edition of The Korea Times by Yoo Ji-young, a Korean student at the University of Melbourne. I commend Ms Yoo¡¯s interest in climate change.
Australia¡¯s decision not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol does not signify a lack of commitment to tackling climate change. Australia agrees climate change is a serious problem needing a long-term commitment by all major economies. But an effective international response must include all major emitters, impose no competitive disadvantage and support technology. The Kyoto Protocol does not fulfill these criteria _ in particular, the countries with Kyoto commitments account for barely 30 percent of global emissions.
In fact Australia is on track to meet its Kyoto target, even without signing the protocol, while emissions by many of the signatories are set to exceed the targets set for them under Kyoto.
Australia has meanwhile already dedicated 1.4 trillion won to combating climate change, with a strong focus on developing low-emissions technologies. Internationally, Australia is a member of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, along with Korea. This is a new international model for practical private-public cooperation on technology. Australia has committed 70 billion won for collaborative projects over the first five years of the partnership.
I can assure your readers Australia has been active internationally and domestically in efforts to address climate change, and will continue to be.
Peter Rowe Australian Ambassador to Seoul