Rudd shrugs off climate woes at CHOGM

28 Nov 2009, 3:59 pm   -   Source: AAP
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PM Kevin Rudd says 'political will' exists to approve a climate change deal at the Copenhagen UN summit. (Getty Images)

PM Kevin Rudd says 'political will' exists to approve a climate change deal at the Copenhagen UN summit. (Getty Images)

PM Kevin Rudd says "political will" exists to approve a climate change deal at the Copenhagen UN summit, despite his own legislation being bogged in the Senate.

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Kevin Rudd says the "political will" exists among world leaders to approve a climate change deal at next month's crucial United Nations summit in Copenhagen, despite the prime minister's own legislation in Australia being bogged down in the Senate.

Rudd rejected suggestions he could go to the polls early to take advantage of coalition disunity, although the latest Newspoll suggests the Liberals could lose up to 20 metropolitan seats in an election run on the issue of climate change.

The prime minister, speaking at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the dual island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, reaffirmed his intention of serving a full term.

"I have been elected to serve a full term and that is my intention," Rudd told reporters at a press conference.

Rudd turned up the heat on Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and treasury spokesman Joe Hockey to push the bipartisan deal through the Senate.

"Remember, the government and the Liberal Party under Mr Turnbull and Mr Hockey worked constructively to reach this bipartisan deal on climate change to pass the carbon pollution reduction scheme," the prime minister said.

The climate change issue has become the red hot topic at CHOGM, with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling for the creation of an annual $US10 billion ($A10.9 billion) fund to help developing nations battle global warming and a trio of non-Commonwealth leaders - French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon - taking the unusual step of jetting in to Trinidad.

The trio is hoping to use CHOGM to build momentum ahead of the Copenhagen summit, set to begin on December 7.

At the end of the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting a climate change deal in Denmark appeared unlikely, with the two largest polluters - China and the US - appearing reluctant to commit to a deal.

The negative sentiment, however, has been replaced by hope after the US and China announced this week for the first time their targets to cut carbon emissions.

US President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will attend the Copenhagen summit.

Ban said an agreement was now "within reach" in Copenhagen.

"Things are moving, are shifting faster and more firmly than what we could have imagined and that is excellent news," Sarkozy added.

Rudd also sounded positive.

"I can't predict the outcome, but there are available to us the resources, political will and policy instruments to craft an effective Copenhagen agreement," Rudd said.

"It is there.

"We can do it."

Sarkozy has lobbied CHOGM leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The French president said Singh had told him he would attend Copenhagen and wouldn't stand in the way of a deal.

"Copenhagen is not a negotiation like any other negotiation," Sarkozy told reporters.

"What is at stake here is the future of our planet."

Queen Elizabeth II, in her opening address to CHOGM on Friday, encouraged Commonwealth leaders to use the meeting to build momentum towards an agreement in Copenhagen.

"The Commonwealth can be proud of the fact that in each of its six decades it has shaped the international response to emerging global challenges," the Queen said.

"On this, the eve of the UN Copenhagen summit on climate change, the Commonwealth has an opportunity to lead once more."

Rudd supported Brown's proposal for the $US10 billion fund, but released a list of five principles that should define how funding will be allocated.

One principle calls for the fund to focus on the "most vulnerable, least developed" countries, particularly small island states.

Brown announced Britain would contribute $US1.3 billion ($A1.4 billion) over three years to the fund.

Rudd did not say how much Australia would contribute, other than to indicate it would be a "fair share".

"If the United Nations agrees to establish a fast start fund to assist with adaptation tasks for the most vulnerable states, then five to 10 per cent of that fast start funding should be dedicated to small island states," Rudd said.

CHOGM ends on Sunday, with Commonwealth issues including Fiji, Zimbabwe, Sri Lankan refugees and human rights to be debated.

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