Page 29 - IB January 2023

Climate Change Climate Change

happy and I want the Australian public to know that. They will Economy and survival
find themselves isolated. He’s given no respect… At least for In the lead up to COP3 – the December 1997 climate nego-
once in a while, you must give us respect and come and pass a tiations in Kyoto – the Australian government was in no doubt
statement the way we like it.” that it was swimming against the tide of international opinion.
A September 1997 Cabinet minute to brief Prime Minister
Opening the archives Howard before the Rarotonga Forum, entitled ‘Australian
Fast forward to today. In January 2023, the National policy towards the South Pacific’, noted that “we can expect
Archives of Australia released Cabinet documents from the pressure to accept that the Kyoto agreement include legally
late 1990s, allowing researchers, historians and journalists to binding targets for significant reductions in our emissions and
better understand policy-making from that era. The treasure strong criticism, including from green groups, of Australia’s
trove of Cabinet submissions, minutes and memos from 1996- approach.”
2000 provides a sad and sorry picture that help explain John Briefing Howard before the Forum, Australian officials
Howard’s stance in Rarotonga. wrote: “Climate change will continue to be a difficult issue to
The UNFCCC was adopted at the 1992 Rio Environment Sum- handle. It is one where significant difficulties have developed
mit, and three years later the first Conference of the Parties over the past few years in the relationship between FICs and
(COP1) was held in Berlin (it’s been a long process – this year, Australia. They have criticised us for apparently putting our
negotiators will gather again for COP28). economic interests above the well-being and very existence of
From the very beginning of the COP process, Australian of- small island states.”
ficials were well aware that Pacific Island countries were criti- The 1997 Forum leaders meeting in Cook Islands came at a
cal of their climate policy. A newly released Cabinet minute crucial time. Before every major decision point in the UNFCCC
from June 1996 states that “relationships with PICs suffered process – Kyoto 1997, Copenhagen 2009, Paris 2015 – the Pa-
considerable strain in the wake of the first Conference of the cific Islands Forum has sought to forge a common position to
Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP1) in March- carry into the global negotiations. Island leaders have repeat-
April 1995. Pacific Island Countries (together with other edly, and unsuccessfully, pressed Australia to join a consensus
members of AOSIS) were highly critical of Australia’s stance on urgent action.
at COP1, with some of the PICs expressing a sense of betrayal The Cabinet briefing for Forum 1997 shows that Canberra
over Australia’s inability to endorse the draft AOSIS protocol.” was fully aware of this dynamic: “With Kyoto so close and the
In the lead up to COP2, the June 1996 Cabinet minute positions of key participants so fluid, climate change will be
reported that Australia should “actively pursue an outcome an important issue at this year’s Forum. Pacific island lead-
which would not involve Australia taking action which would ers – encouraged by substantial environmental NGO pres-
have net adverse economic impacts nationally.” Negotiators ence – will want the Forum to send a strong message to Kyoto
should seek an outcome that “does not contain targets which outlining their concerns.”
are legally binding… and does not specify mandatory interna- The Cabinet minute outlines talking points for Prime Minis-
tionally coordinated policies to limit greenhouse gas emission ter Howard, proposing to argue that Australia is “working to-
measures.” wards a fair and equitable global solution which governments
The Australian negotiating mandate also said that commit- will genuinely implement.” Howard was urged to “acknowl-
ments to developing countries should “not make a limitation edge the FICs leadership role on issue to date and that we and
of the commitments of developing countries contingent on they have common purpose in the next big challenge, getting
developed countries providing financial resources beyond significant developing country emitters engaged.” However,
those already committed under the Convention” – a preview the submission argues that “the Forum should recognise its
of recent Australian resistance to more financial commitments necessarily limited role and focus on setting a more forward-
to the Green Climate Fund or significant funding for loss and looking vision for a fully global response.”
damage. The message from Canberra was clear: island negotiators
The June 1996 Cabinet minute notes that “COP2 will be should know their place. It’s clear that climate champions like
a critical meeting because Australia can expect to be under Enele Sopoaga, Anote Tong, Ralph Regenvanu, Tina Stege and
pressure from the US, European Union, most developing many others have since failed to recognise their “necessarily
countries (including Pacific Island Countries) and environment limited role.”
groups to agree to develop legally binding targets and time-
tables for developed countries to reduce GHG emissions.” Binding commitments
“Australia has argued that the uniform target approach is During this period, the Howard government was pushing
inequitable”, the minute explains, but “our position has at- a “differentiation” strategy, arguing that individual country
tracted little support.” In response, officials proposed further circumstances be recognised in any agreed emissions targets.
delay, arguing that “Australia should work for an outcome that At the time, Australia was the only OECD country that refused
does not specify mandatory or internationally coordinated to support binding emission reduction targets. In contrast,
policies and measures, but provides for further analysis and Pacific Island Countries were calling for legally binding tar-
possible future negotiations.” gets – a policy backed by the United States, United Kingdom,
Germany and the Netherlands.

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