After promising news yesterday that the Australian delegation in Bali was willing to back a mandate for deep emissions cuts of 25-40% for developed countries by 2020, new PM Kevin Rudd has now retreated from this position.

“[Nations] have … indicated that they do not necessarily accept those targets, nor do
they accept those targets as binding targets for themselves.” Mr Rudd said. “That is also the position of the Australian Government.

What a wasted opportunity to show the world we’re serious about climate change. While most countries in Bali have accepted 25%-40% as an appropriate range for developed countries and want to get on with negotiating individual targets, once again Australia is one of only few countries acting to undermine an international agreement on climate change.

Why not write a letter to the editor telling Rudd to get his act together when he gets to Bali next week? Some points to consider :

  • The UNFCC has said that developing countries need to cut emissions by 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020 in order to avoid dangerous climate change.
  • We need Rudd to explicitly commit to a 2020 target, in the top end of the 25-40% band, which will guarantee Australia’s emissions begin to fall.

Send your letters to:

And bcc: [email protected]