THE KYOTO PROTOCOL: The world is finally coming to accept that global warming is a reality. Twenty five years ago it was just another
bit of greenie hysteria. The Kyoto Protocol came into force on 16 February after 30 industrialised nations
ratified it, formally committing to reduce their greenhouse emissions. Australia, the US, Monaco and
Liechtenstein refused to ratify.
It all started at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Under the Climate Change Convention, 34 industrialised
countries pledged to reduce man-made greenhouse emissions. But no targets were set. The Kyoto Protocol
takes the CCC further by setting limits to each country’s emissions. Negotiations wore on for years while the
planet heated up, the energy industries consolidated their positions and a few governments got cold feet.
The objective is to reduce overall emissions by at least 5% below 1990 levels by 2012. Depressingly, it’s
nowhere near the 60% reduction estimated as necessary to avoid 'unpredictable and dangerous' climate
change. But it’s a necessary first step. Let’s hope the next steps are very large, very rapid and very soon.
An early principle of Kyoto was that the industrialised countries had contributed more greenhouse emissions,
and gained the most economic advantages from doing so. Therefore, they were expected to participate in the
first round of reductions
Early in the negotiations Australia threatened to walk out if we were not allowed to increase our greenhouse
emissions. We were a special case dependent on coal exports and aluminium production, argued the lovely
Robert Hill. These tactics secured an agreement to allow Australia an 8% increase of emissions over 1990
levels. But later, even with this generous concession, our government decided not to ratify Kyoto. They said it
wasn’t fair that developing nations like China didn’t have to act yet, and our economy would suffer while China
would have a competitive advantage Word has it that coal tycoon RioTinto lobbied them to reject Kyoto. Don’t
forget the Government’s chief scientist is RioTinto’s Robin Batterham. The Government also claims that
Australia will achieve its 8% targeted increase anyway, so we don’t need to sign anything. We’ll achieve the
target because the Protocol’s calculations would factor in our declining land-clearing as an offset. It’s very
creative. Surely we could have reduced landclearing and reduced our emission increase (or even tried to
reduce our emissions). We now emit around 16% over 1990 emissions levels.
It’s a tricky business. For the Protocol to happen, it had to be ratified by industrialised countries responsible for
55% of the emissions. When the US decided not to ratify, it was up to just about all the other countries, the US
being responsible for 36% of emissions. Australia, ever-loyal to the US, wasn’t budging. Russia wavered for a
couple years before finally ratifying last December, bringing the total to 61%. So they went without us.
Signatories to Kyoto will be able to participate in a global carbon trading scheme. We won’t have access to it.
Australia has the highest per capita greenhouse gas emission rates on the planet at about 26.7 tonnes per
person. This is twice the average level of other wealthy countries (13.4 tonnes). US per capita emissions are
21.2 tonnes. Our energy intensive economy and lifestyle is typical of the developed world, which is responsible
for over 80% of all greenhouse emissions. In 1990, global carbon emissions were 22.3 billion tonnes. If a
60% reduction is needed to avoid 'unpredictable and dangerous' climate change, this means the atmosphere
may be able to accommodate 8.9 billion tonnes of emissions a year. Assuming everyone has equal rights to
the Earth's atmosphere, an estimated sustainable emission rate is about 1.47 tonnes per capita per year.
Collectively, Australians are using 18 times more of the atmosphere than we are entitled to.
How does it feel to be part of a bad global citizen? We all need to consume less, being mindful of our fossil
fuel use. Cars, air conditioners and aeroplanes are major contributors to greenhouse emissions. And things
have to change on an institutional, structural level. Until the energy industry stops dictating government policy,
and until people start electing greener governments, this poor world is on a hiding to nothing.
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE, OI OI OI.