28
April 2009 Senator Wong attends Climate
Change reception hosted by President Obama
(PDF - 108 KB)
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator
the Hon Penny Wong, today attended a White
House reception hosted by President Obama
as part of the first day of the Major Economies
Forum (MEF) on Energy and Climate.
The President reaffirmed
the commitment of the US to leadership on
climate change.
Senator Wong said leadership
from the US would be critical, but it needed
to be matched by leadership from many nations
to forge a global agreement.
"The US and other
major economies participating in this Forum
will play a crucial role in building momentum
for a global deal in the lead up to Copenhagen,''
Senator Wong said.
In an address to the
Forum, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton also highlighted the important leadership
role of all countries involved in the Major
Economies Forum process.
Secretary Clinton said
the US was now "fully engaged and ready
to lead" on the issue of climate change,
and emphasised the need for a "pragmatic,
not dogmatic" approach.
Senator Wong said the
first day of the Major Economies Forum focused
on critical technologies needed to help
move countries to a low pollution future.
"Australia outlined
the importance of carbon capture and storage
in reducing emissions globally - and the
work of the Australian-led Global CCS Institute
in driving this," Senator Wong said.
Senator Wong said there
was also a strong focus on the important
role domestic policies will play in building
a global agreement.
"The Carbon Pollution
Reduction Scheme represents an opportunity
for Australia to go to Copenhagen with a
responsible position and a clear plan to
deliver on the targets we put on the table,"
Senator Wong said.
"An agreement that
looks perfect on paper, but that remains
unratified by its signatories, will do nothing
for our planet."
Secretary Clinton's
remarks are available at: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/04/122240.htm
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Coalition to match Government's
emissions targets?
26 April 2009 Coalition
to match Government's emissions targets?
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator
Penny Wong, has called on Opposition Leader
Malcolm Turnbull to clarify whether comments
made today by his emissions trading spokesman
reflect official Coalition policy.
Speaking today on ABC's
Insiders, Andrew Robb committed to at least
match the Government's targets to reduce
carbon pollution by between 5 and 15 per
cent of 2000 levels by 2020.
Mr Robb told host Barrie
Cassidy:
"We'll at least
do as well as the Government, I'll tell
you that."
Senator Wong, who is
in Washington attending the first Major
Economies Forum on Energy and Climate hosted
by the Obama Administration, said Mr Turnbull
needed to be upfront about the Coalition's
planned 2020 and 2050 targets.
"The Coalition
can't keep pushing their position on climate
change off to the never-never," Senator
Wong said.
"Mr Robb and Mr
Turnbull need to tell Australia exactly
how much they propose to reduce Australia's
emissions by; how they will deliver these
reductions and how much it will cost.
"The Coalition
cannot say they want a global agreement
and that they will match our targets while
at the same time standing in the way of
the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme."
Senator Wong said the
indication from Mr Robb that the Coalition
would provide more details on its targets
following the Senate Select Committee on
Climate Change, due to report in May, was
the fifth timetable for the Coalition.
The Coalition have previously
said they would release targets after the
Garnaut Review, then after the Treasury
modelling, then after the White Paper and
then after their own yet-to-be-released
review by economist David Pearce.
