中国气候变化信息网 China Climate Change Info-Net

The Kyoto Protocol was officially ratified in Australia this week, with documentation being approved by the United Nations for Australia to become a signatory to the pact.

However despite its signing, the nation has been told to cut its emissions by at least 25% by the year 2020 in order to avoid wide-scale climate change damage.

A member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Chance (IPCC), Bill Hare, is currently in Australia, and has warned the Government it must set short-term targets.

A report commissioned by the Australian Labor Party last year is due to be delivered later in 2008, with its author Professor Ross Garnaut last month saying Australia would need to cut emissions by as much as 90% by the year 2050.

Mr Hare today said that despite the long-term ambition, Australia clearly needed short-term targets if it was to assist in reducing the effects of climate change.

"I think the level of ambition is in the right range," he is reported as saying.

"What's missing and I think will come in the final report are reductions targets for 2020"

The Rudd Government has however committed Australia to utilising 20% renewable energy sources by the year 2020.