APEC declaration a Sydney distraction from action on climate change

“The Sydney Declaration is really just a Sydney distraction from real action on climate change,” Greenpeace energy campaigner Catherine Fitzpatrick said.

“The failure of this APEC to produce meaningful progress on climate change confirms that the place to do this is at the Kyoto negotiations in Bali in December.”

Ms Fitzpatrick said the Sydney Declaration’s non-binding aspirational goal of reducing energy intensity by at least 25% by 2030 would mean business as usual.  In most APEC countries energy intensity would improve by this amount by 2030 anyway – but overall emissions would continue to rise, she said.

“Bali is where the world will set the agenda for a strong mandate on climate change, setting in place agreements on binding targets and timetables to cut greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Today APEC leaders supported the Australian Government in little more than a political stunt. They have professed concern about climate change while agreeing to no real action to move forward. 

“If this is the platform for future climate action then the world is in trouble,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.

“While John Howard billed APEC as “the most important gathering of leaders to discuss climate change since the 1992 Rio Conference,” in reality it has failed to deliver on climate change.

On forests, Ms Fitzpatrick warned that the inclusion of the words “all types of forest” would not stop the logging of old growth native forests to be replaced by plantations – ancient forests which is currently being lost.