On eve of G20: US-China historic climate change deal
‘Labor and the Greens have seized on the historic deal to launch a blistering attack on the Abbott government’s climate policy, arguing Australia is going backwards in tackling climate change, accusing Prime Minister Tony Abbott of holding “flat earth views” and urging greater emissions reductions. The deal comes on the eve of the G20 summit in Brisbane, which both the US and Chinese presidents will attend, and significantly ratchets up pressure on Mr Abbott, who has been reluctant to even discuss climate change at the economic summit. Climate change is conspicuously absent from major items on the agenda at the summit.’ (Sydney Morning Herald, 12.11.14)
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Abbott likely to try to deflect climate change discussion
Matthew Nisbet writes in The Conversation (13.11.14) that ‘despite building pressure, Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, as host of the summit, is likely to do his best to deflect any talk of international action. Along with Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, the two conservative leaders of fossil fuel-rich countries present a major barrier to a global climate deal’.
US-China deal a ‘game-changer’
Peter Christoff writes in The Conversation (13.11.14): ‘China’s pledge to peak its emissions by 2030 indicates that it is now willing to assume a leadership role in international climate negotiations – a role commendusrate with its global economic importance, with its status as the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, and as a country that would be devastated by accelerated climate change’.
Experts say deal may not be enough to keep warming below 2C
James Whitmore and Michael Hopkin write in The Conversation that the landmkar US-China pledge is a step towards 2C climate goal: ‘A groundbreaking climate deal between the US and China will put pressure on the international community to broker a global treaty at next year’s United Nations talks, but experts say it still might not be enough to keep warming below 2C.’