From Australia’s perspective the Bali meeting was a conspicuous success. New PM Kevin Rudd has repositioned Australia by signalling Kyoto Protocol ratification. Rudd and his Climate Change Minister Penny Wong made an excellent start in having Australia operate as a diplomatic bridge builder between developed and developing nations.
And Rudd sent the message that he would not be intimidated by European-led crusades that are more about politics than solving climate change.
Most of the news from Bali, day after day, was about the European hijack: the attempt to intimidate mainly the US but also Japan, Russia, Canada and Australia into signing up to emissions cuts for developed nations of between 25 and 40 per cent by 2020. The rationale reflected the so-called science about halting temperature increases. The green NGOs ran the campaign with alacrity backed by true believer media.
The Americans stared down the Europeans. The Russians were impervious to European tactics. And Rudd declined to become a mug at his first outing.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22945578-7583,00.html