AUSTRALIA: APEC leaders agree long-term goal to cut emissions

APEC leaders sign the Sydney Declaration to tackle climate change following their official photograph showing them wearing Australia's national dress. Asia-Pacific leaders signed a declaration on climate change on Saturday (September 8) that aims to eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions, but sets no binding targets for that goal. The 21 leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum met behind a tight security cordon at Sydney Opera House, as thousands of protesters marched nearby against U.S. President George W. Bush, the Iraq war, global warming and a hodgepodge of other causes. Asia-Pacific nations, including China and the United States, agreed on Saturday to adopt a "long-term aspirational goal" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said. Howard told reporters at the end of the first day of the weekend summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum that the 21 leaders had agreed on the need for all nations to contribute according to their own capacities and circumstances to reducing greenhouse gases. "The Sydney Declaration has been adopted. I thank the leaders of the APEC economies, it's a very important milestone in the march towards a sensible, international agreement on climate change which recognises the need to make progress but also recognises that different economies bring different perspectives to addressing the challenge of climate change," he said. A draft copy of the declaration reaffirmed the U.N. climate convention as the primary vehicle for fighting global warming, while urging non-binding targets for greenhouse gas reductions. Shortly after their meetings, Asia-Pacific leaders dressed for the weather, posing for the annual APEC "class photo" in Australian stockman's raincoats on a brisk, overcast early spring day in Sydney. The final photo-shoot of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum has always provided a flamboyant sidelight to the usually dry affairs, when presidents, prime ministers and even a sultan don the host country's national dress with varying degrees of aplomb. The outdoorsmen in the group, U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, looked the part in the dark brown, knee-length, rain-proof coats with collars trimmed in various colours (Bush in blue, Putin in green). The leaders were also given bushmen's hats to wear, but only Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper put one on. Previous "funny shirt photo ops" at APEC summits have included Chilean ponchos, Chinese silk jackets, Indonesian batik shirts, and American "bomber" jackets. Last year, they wore Vietnamese ao dai silk tunics. Howard had kept the choice of national dress a secret until the leaders trooped out of the Sydney Opera House after their morning summit in the "Driza-bone" coats (which keep you dry as a bone). Howard had only said the leaders wouldn't come out in Speedo swimming trunks, otherwise known as "budgie smugglers", a common sight on Australian beaches and certainly not appropriate for the weather. Some people were less than impressed with the choice of outfit, some even believing the idea of a national dress to be outmoded. "I personally don't believe there is anything quintessentially Australian, so I don't even really believe there is a dress they should be wearing, I don't agree with the concept anyway," one Sydney resident said. Others were disappointed that the leaders, Howard in particular, decided not to don their beachwear for the photo opportunity. "I'd really like to see him in a nice pair of budgie smugglers, Bondi beach bum, maybe the red and white cap, you know it's hot up here," a tourist in the city said. Others were hoping that the prime minister would adopt the common touch and appear in modern, urban clothing. "I think something like this maybe, yeah, something a bit more colourful and maybe like this, it would definitely be more Australian," another tourist said. Whilst the leaders were hard at work, their spouses got to grips with some of the locals. A collection of Australian animals from Taronga Zoo, featuring a blue-tongued lizard, a koala and a baby kangaroo, were shipped across the harbour to Garden Island for a private petting session. The partners then sailed across the harbour to a photo opportunity at Admiralty House. ENDS.

ITN Source | September 8, 2007

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