Hot on the heels of the appointment of a businessman who doesn’t think climate change is induced by humans to head up a review of the Renewable Energy Targets (Gee, I wonder where that might go?), comes the Abbott Government’s redefining of Australia’s objectives for international climate negotiations. This is what the 2013-4 budget portfolio statement said when the previous government was in power:
Climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution. Strong collective and individual country action is needed to avert dangerous climate change. The Australian Government is working to influence the development of international policies and measures on climate change through the pursuit of broad based international climate action and agreement. In contributing to this, the department is working to engage strategically with key international partners to support international climate action.
This is the Abbott Government’s reworking:
The Deliverables for Program 1.4 have been amended from the Deliverables published under Program 4.3 in the DIICCSRTE Portfolio Budget Statements 2013-14 to better reflect the current Government priorities. The amended Deliverables for Program 1.4 are as follows:
– Influence international climate change negotiations to advance and protect Australia’s national interests and international competitiveness and to promote broad based international climate action
– Strengthen bilateral climate change engagement with major economies and Australia’s major trading partners to promote effective climate change action
So it appears that the real goal now is to protect our national interests and economic competitiveness…oh and something about international climate action.