[Greens-Media] Garnaut's global analysis forgets China; Local analysis points to forest protection

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

Garnaut's global analysis forgets China; Local analysis points to forest
protection

Hobart, Wednesday, 1 October 2008

Professor Garnaut has wrongly assessed China and India's perspective on
a global greenhouse gas emissions deal, Australian Greens Leader,
Senator Bob Brown said today. However, the Professor also points the way
to fast, cheap and easy emissions reductions from protecting forests.

Chinese Premier Hu Jintao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh used
July's G8 summit in Japan to call for rich nations to cut their
emissions by 45% by 2012 and 95% by 2050 in order to give poorer nations
room to develop.

"Any global climate agreement must bring China and India on board, but
they will simply not sign up to a deal which sees Australia, the USA and
other rich countries take on weak targets," Senator Brown said.

"Professor Garnaut ignores this clear stance by the two most populous
countries in the world to focus only on his belief that the USA will not
sign up to deal with strong targets.

"It is ironic that analysis of China's contribution to climate change
often ignores both its efforts to reduce emissions and its role in the
global negotiations. China will simply not let Australia, the USA and
other rich polluters get away with weak targets. Garnaut's 10% offer
will be dismissed at the outset in Copenhagen next year."

Professor Garnaut also points the way for Prime Minister Rudd and
Climate Change Minister Penny Wong to achieve huge, cheap and fast
emissions reductions simply by protecting standing forests, Senator
Brown said.

"Professor Garnaut notes that protecting and nurturing our
'conservation' native forest carbon stores will save 136 megatonnes of
CO2 a year. [Table 22.2]

"This potential saving from forest protection is not far below the 198
megatonnes emitted by electricity generation in Australia, and is triple
the 42 megatonnes from Australia's entire fleet of passenger cars,"
Senator Brown said.


Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562

Tim Hollo
Media Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
ph: (02) 6277 3588
mob: 0437 587 562

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