Australia to join international climate coalition

Australia has announced that it will join the Climate and Clean Air Coalition - an alliance of over two dozen nations, intergovernmental organisations, the private sector and civil society, committed to rapid action to reduce short-lived but highly potent pollution caused by methane, black carbon (soot), tropospheric ozone (smog) and hydrofluorocarbons.

“Australia is signing on with other nations, including the United States, who are supporting action to reduce these pollutants,” said Greg Combet, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

“Apart from trapping heat in the atmosphere, these pollutants can also be extremely damaging to human health, air quality, crop yields and ecosystems,” he said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed Australia’s announcement: “We welcome Australia as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s newest partner in the fight against short-lived climate pollutants. Our coalition has seen tremendous progress since its launch earlier this year, and I have no doubt our collective efforts against these pollutants will be greatly strengthened in the Asia-Pacific and around the world with Australian leadership and expertise.  We look forward to continued progress through the coalition to improve our climate, health and environment.”

“The science suggests that acting quickly to reduce short-lived climate pollutants, which are more potent than carbon dioxide, has the potential to slow down warming by 2050. It would also increase the chance of staying within a global temperature rise of below 2°C,” said Mark Dreyfus, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, at the Major Economies Forum.

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition is chaired by the United States and Nigeria and includes Germany, Japan, the UK, France, Italy, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, Mexico, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Israel, Jordan, the European Commission, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank.

Working in partnership with intergovernmental organisations and civil society, the work complements action by individual countries to reduce carbon pollution and collective global efforts under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

“The Climate and Clean Air Coalition is yet another example of the US, other major economies and developing countries working together to combat dangerous climate change,” said Combet.

Five initial Climate and Clean Air Coalition focus areas have been established:

• Fast action on diesel emissions, including from heavy-duty vehicles and engines
• Upgrading brick kilns, which are a significant source of black carbon emissions
• Accelerating the reduction of methane emissions from landfills
• Speeding up cuts in methane and other emissions from the oil and gas industry
• Accelerating the take-up of alternatives to hydrofluorocarbons

“Innovative Australian businesses who are developing and deploying solutions domestically in response to our Clean Energy Future plan will have new growth opportunities as countries around the world intensify their efforts on these issues,” said Combet.