AFX News Limited
04.01.07, 8:58 AM ET
SYDNEY (XFN-ASIA) - Prime Minister John Howard said he is making climate change a key agenda item at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in Sydney later this year.
Howard said he has written to the other 20 APEC leaders outlining plans to make clean development and climate change a key agenda topic.
'Australia is demonstrating strong leadership by putting the issue at the centre of one of the major leaders' summits of the year and is committed to developing a strong regional response to this pressing international challenge,' he said.
He said the 21 APEC economies, which include the world's largest energy consumers, the US, Japan and China, already account for 60 pct of global energy demand and their energy demand would likely double by 2030.
'Last year in Hanoi leaders instructed ministers to report in Sydney on ways APEC might respond to the challenge of meeting rapidly growing energy demands while minimising environmental effects,' he said in a statement.
'We now need to give practical effect to that instruction.'
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| Australia`s Labour Party calls for inclusion of India in APEC |
| Melbourne, March 30: Australia's main opposition Labour Party has asked Prime Minister John Howard to lobby with other members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group for bringing India into the regional bloc. Australia will host the APEC leaders' summit in Sydney in September. The grouping will this year decide whether to open up its club to new members. "John Howard should lobby with other members to bring India into APEC," opposition trade spokesman Simon Crean said. "The inclusion of India will make APEC stronger, he said. Crean said inclusion of India, the world's fourth largest economy, in the forum will ensure that the grouping remains the premier economic bloc in the region. |
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