11 May
2006 - Australian Minister for the Environment
and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, today announced
the establishment of a bilateral climate change
partnership between Australia and the Republic
of South Africa.
Senator Campbell said the partnership
would focus on collaboration on climate change
adaptation, particularly in the areas of biodiversity
and broad acre agriculture, in addition to exchanging
experience and lessons learned in implementing
climate change policies and programmes.
Senator Campbell said this partnership
was an important addition to Australia’s suite
of bilateral partnerships with key countries.
"These bilateral partnerships
are an important element of Australia’s multi-track
approach to working with the international community
to develop an environmentally effective, economically
efficient and socially responsible global response
to climate change," Senator Campbell said.
"Bilateral partnerships
are essential in the constantly changing world
of climate change because it is through the sharing
of information and ideas that we can benefit from
each others experiences and also develop new ways
to manage and adapt to climate change on an international
level."
Australia and South Africa have
many similarities and there are considerable benefits
to be gained by working together to address adaptation
and climate change mitigation. The two southern
hemisphere countries both have significant land
masses prone to drought, with remote communities,
high levels of agriculture and grazing, large
reserves of natural resources, and sustainability
pressures on associated land and water resources.
Both countries also have a high dependence on
fossil fuels for energy, and are significant energy
exporters.
In announcing the partnership,
Ministers noted that "as primary producers,
Australia and South Africa share many similar
concerns in the areas of agriculture and land
management and there is much to be gained through
working together to examine approaches to adaptation
in these areas".
Senator Campbell and Minister
Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the South African Minister
for Environmental Affairs and Tourism, met in
New York this week during the fourteenth session
of the Commission on Sustainable Development.
Australia has bilateral climate change partnerships
with the US, China, New Zealand, the European
Union and Japan.
