Climate Change minister Greg Combet says Australia would be prepared to sign up for an extension to the Kyoto Protocol, but only if other major emitters would back their pledges to reduce emissions with binding commitments.

In a speech in Canberra on the eve of the Durban climate change talks, Combet said the principal weakness of the Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of 2012, is that it does not cover the emissions of China or the United States.

“No system that leaves out the world’s two largest emitters, themselves responsible for 37 per cent of global emissions, can be effective or ultimately sustainable,” he said. “This is not to suggest that other countries are not taking action … But the Australian Government’s position is that all major emitters – whether developed or developing – need to back their actions with binding international commitments.”

The Australian position one is a nuanced one in the international talks. Canada, Japan and Russia have refused to back a second commitment period of Kyoto in any circumstances, but Australia is prepared to join with the EU if there is some sort of binding commitment by the other major emitters.

This would be an interim arrangement until a new treaty, binding on all emitters, could be negotiated. Australia and Norway have suggested 2015 should be the target date, but the UK this week said that 2020 might be more realistic. The United Nations, however, has said this could be too late to meet the stated target of limiting average global warming to 2C.

 
“Australia will go to Durban on track to meet our Kyoto Protocol target for the first commitment period, and with legislation that will ensure we meet our international commitments to 2020 and 2050,” Combet said.

“There should be no doubt that we stand by our commitments and do what we say. But in this critical decade, we seek a genuinely global agreement that applies rules to the broadest range of countries, including all major emitters, to help ensure the world can stay within the two degree guardrail.”

Combet said while Durban will be one stepping-stone along the path to a multi-lateral agreement, he will be seeking bilateral agreements to link emission trading schemes in a bid to build a global carbon market.