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Climate change claims exaggerated: Minchin
February 27, 2008 01:14am
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A KEY federal opposition frontbencher has voiced his scepticism about climate change.

Opposition defence spokesman, and leader of the opposition in the Senate Nick Minchin said there were still doubts on the science used to back up claims about climate change.

"I do think that the claims being made in relation to climate change generally are often very exaggerated," he told ABC Television.

"And even Ross Garnaut in his report makes it clear that there are many, many scientists who doubt the voracity of the IPCC's (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) findings, and he called for greater debate about the scientific evidence."

Prof Garnaut's interim report to the federal government suggests cutting carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent by 2050.

Senator Minchin said Australia should only act on carbon emissions in consort with its major trading partners.

Aust 'most vulnerable' to climate change: Garnaut
Posted 45 minutes ago
Updated 34 minutes ago


Professor Garnaut says Australia is relatively well-placed to convert strong action on climate change into economic opportunity. (File photo) (ABC News: Giulio Saggin)

Related Link: Garnaut interim report A report by economist Ross Garnaut warns Australia could be among the worst-hit countries if the world does not act to slow the rate of climate change.

Professor Garnaut has handed down his interim report on carbon emissions targets and the creation of an emissions trading scheme today.

The report was commissioned by the federal, state and territory governments to help develop major policies on climate change.

Professor Garnaut says Australia's large agricultural sector and a reliance on trade with developing nations in Asia, that are also put at risk by rising temperatures, makes it one of the most vulnerable countries in the developed world.

He says Australia needs to play a lead role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by going beyond its stated target of a 60 per cent cut by 2050.

But Professor Garnaut says Australia is relatively well-placed to convert strong action on climate change into economic opportunity.

The report also sets out an initial guide to the design of an emissions trading scheme.

State and federal leaders have been briefed on the details of the interim report in Adelaide.

South Australian Premier Mike Rann says it paints a very sobering picture for the global community.

"Essentially what I'm sure that you will find out is that in the last five years and certainly since the modelling done by Sir Nicholas Stern, things are much worse for the world in terms of global warming than previously believed," he said.

Western Australian Premier Alan Carpenter says the report has a blunt warning.

"What Ross Garnaut has done is basically tell us, 'less time than you thought, more action than you thought, maybe in a shorter space of time'," Mr Carpenter said.

"There needs to be a sense of urgency. This isn't a matter just for governments, it's a matter for the ordinary people of the states."


Policy

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has told Parliament it is vital the Government gets its climate change policies right.

"It's critical for the economy, critical for families, critical for the environment, critical for national security," he said.

"After 12 years of inaction on the whole question of climate change it's time that Australia led the international community on this question, it's time we had a government that led the national debate on this question.

"That's what needs to be done now, that's what this Government is now engaged in."

The final report will be released in September.

Garnaut Reports on Climate-Change Impact on Australian Economy

By Gemma Daley

Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Australian professor Ross Garnaut will today release an update on his report on how climate change will affect the national economy.

Garnaut, based at the Australian National University, will release an update on the report to state premiers today in Adelaide, his spokeswoman said. The final draft will be released in June and the official report in September, Anna Freeman said.

``The report is about the impacts of climate change and the opportunities for the Australian economy,'' Freeman said in a phone interview from Adelaide. ``There are no recommendations in this report, but it will give a strong idea of our approach.''

A United Nations accord reached in Bali in December acknowledged the scientific basis for developed nations to cut emissions by between 25 percent and 40 percent by 2020 to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The Australian government has a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent from 2000 levels by 2050 and has yet to set shorter-term goals.

Australia will set a medium-term target for greenhouse gas reductions by the end of the year to put the framework in place for an emissions trading system, Minister for Climate Change and Water Penny Wong said on Feb. 6.

The government will also develop a draft on emissions- trading legislation by year-end to enable the laws to be passed in 2009 and trading to start in 2010, Wong said. It will use Garnaut's report to set an emissions reduction pathway for trading.

``He'll be one of many sources of advice to the government about how we move forward with a new regime on targets, how we design emissions trading, and the rest,'' Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television yesterday. ``We may accept some of it, reject other bits, but we are very keen to go through it and go through it thoroughly.''

The emissions trading system, which will cover more than 70 percent of the country's emissions, will use the so-called cap-and- trade design utilized in the European Union.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gemma Daley in Canberra at gdaley@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: February 20, 2008 16:18 EST

Linda Lingle, at the opening of the White House-sponsored international climate change meeting: