Asia Pacific meeting must cement real solutions in face of rising temperatures
05 Jan 2006
Asia Pacific nations must agree on absolute reductions in greenhouse gas emissions during this month's climate change meeting in Sydney if we are to minimise the rising temperatures and extreme weather events that dominated 2005.
The Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate will meet in Sydney this month, where searing temperatures on New Years Day buckled train lines and sparked bushfires around the state.
Figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology are a further warning of the disastrous affects of climate change and another indication that the world's nations must agree on a system of comprehensive greenhouse gas reductions.
The Bureau's annual climate statement released today shows the average national temperature in 2005 was 22.89, which is 1.09 degrees hotter than the average temperature between 1961 and 1990.
"Governments need only look at temperatures here on New Years Day and other extreme weather events around the world to see that climate change is real," says WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne.
"Senator Ian Campbell and Parliamentary Secretary Greg Hunt today described the latest temperature figures as evidence of climate change, which shows the Australian Government wants to get real about the problem. But this means that we must also get real about the solution."
Mr Bourne says developed countries taking part in the Asia Pacific meeting must agree on binding and absolute greenhouse gas emission reductions. He says developing countries - such as India and China - must pledge to grow their economies in a way that minimises their increases in emissions through the use of the cleanest possible energy technologies.
"Australia's natural icons, the water supplies of our cities and our agricultural production and biodiversity are at risk - continuing to add to that risk can not work alongside trying to adapt to its effects," Mr Bourne says.
Australia has 12 World Heritage Areas listed for their natural values. Half of these, including the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park, the Greater Blue Mountains, and the Tasmanian wilderness, are at serious risk from climate change.
For more information
Jacqueline McArthur, WWF Press Office, 02 8202 1242, 0408 626 780
Charlie Stevens, WWF Press Office, 02 8202 1274, 0424 649 689
Notes
- Last month, a WWF report entitled Are we putting our fish in hot water? reveals that fish are increasingly threatened by the effects of climate change as temperatures rise in rivers, lakes and oceans. For a copy of the report and for the full scientific reports on 'climate change and freshwater fish' and 'climate change and marine fish' go to panda.org.
- Studies by WWF show at least 90 Australian species are at risk from climate change - including koalas, wombats, birds, reptiles, frogs and fish. According to the Australian Government's Department of Environment and Heritage most highland faunal species will disappear if average temperatures increase by 1-5°C.
- Science journal Nature has revealed that between 15 and 37 per cent of terrestrial species worldwide could become extinct by 2050 if estimated levels of climate change are not reduced.
- In the Arctic, an expected temperature increase of 2°C could result in the extinction of such iconic species as polar bears, seals and walruses.
