FED: Climate agreement tougher than trade pacts - Garnaut

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2008
FED: Climate agreement tougher than trade pacts - Garnaut

SYDNEY, Dec 8 AAP - Reaching agreement on climate change will be much tougher than
reaching consensus on trade liberalisation, the Rudd government's climate change adviser
says.

Professor Ross Garnaut has warned that time is running out for an international agreement
on climate change, saying clear principles for a post-Kyoto agreement must be worked out
in the first half of next year, The Australian reports.

"Unless there is a coalescing of international support around clear principles through
the first half of 2009, there is no prospect that a good agreement will be reached in
December at (the UN climate change conference in) Copenhagen," he said.

"It is more difficult than trade liberalisation, in which, despite the charades of
trade negotiators, each country would be better off liberalising its trade whether or
not other countries were doing so.

"With climate change mitigation, one country acting alone accepts costs without substantial
benefits."

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong will fly out this week for talks on a post-Kyoto
agreement in the Polish city of Poznan.

AAP ab/rs

KEYWORD: CLIMATE GARNAUT

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