Cabinet papers 1996-1997: how Australia worked to water down Kyoto climate targets

Like the Keating government before it, the Howard government of 1996 and 1997 was deeply resistant to taking any action on climate change that could harm the Australian economy.

 Protesters outside the UN climate talks in Kyoto in
December 1997. The cabinet papers show how
Australia dragged its feet on emissions reduction

But by 1996, John Howard was facing intense international pressure to step up Australia’s commitments as his government prepared for the meeting to discuss the protocol to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change to be adopted at a meeting in Kyoto in December 1997.

Australia had adopted a “no regrets” policy towards tackling climate change under Keating. This meant it would consider only measures that involved cutting emissions without any adverse impact on the economy or trade competitiveness, leaving it largely reliant on on tree-planting and limiting clearing for its response.

Read the story from The Guardian by Anne Davies - “Cabinet papers 1996-1997: how Australia worked to water down Kyoto climate targets.”