Policy shift for Australian PM
John Howard has announced new policy on climate change
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Sunday, 03, Jun 2007 07:01
Australian prime minister John Howard has announced an apparent shift in policy by backing a new climate change scheme.
Mr Howard has said he will set carbon emissions targets for next year and would also sign up to a carbon trading scheme before 2012.
The prime minister said tackling climate change was on his government's agenda but stuck to his previous message of economic strength.
"We will only tackle climate change successfully if we maintain our economic strength," Mr Howard said.
He added that the targets would challenge the country's economy and if the government got it wrong, Australia would be adversely affected.
Opposition leaders in Australia have accused Mr Howard's government of being behind the times on climate change.
Mr Howard has previously played down the effects of the issue but some commentators contend that Australia's worst drought in memory has led public opinion to believe a change was needed.
Australia and the US were the only two countries not to sign up to the Kyoto agreement and ratify its clauses.
But US president George Bush has signalled intent to engage with the rest of the world in tackling climate change and Mr Howard's announcement is fitting with the mood of the G8, which meets in Germany on Wednesday.