Clean energy pact a 'diversion'

January 16, 2007 12:00
From http://www.news.com.au/

PRIME Minister John Howard's pact with China to use so-called clean coal technology was a typical diversion from the need to switch from coal to renewable energy, Greenpeace said today.

The environmental group said Mr Howard continued to ignore options that would deter industrialised economies from increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Australia and China yesterday pledged to work together to develop cleaner energy alternatives following top level talks in the Philippines.

The pact coincided with a wider declaration on energy security made by 16 countries at the East Asia Summit (EAS) of regional leaders.

The declaration pledges a move towards nuclear and other alternative energy solutions, acknowledging the need for renewable energy development.

But Greenpeace spokesman Ben Pearson said China was already moving in that direction, having recently announced plans to invest 45.6 billion yuan ($7.41 billion) to more than triple wind power generation capacity by 2010 and aiming to reach a 15 per cent renewable energy target by 2020.

"This is the real solution to climate change and what Australia should be promoting," Mr Pearson said.

"The deal seems to involve no new financing and doesn't address the central problem that without a price on carbon, technologies such as geosequestration will never be commercially deployed.

"Moreover, it will be at least 10 years before we know if geosequestration even works, which is simply too late."

Mr Pearson said deep cuts were needed in greenhouse emissions of industrialised countries of at least 30 per cent by 2020 to avoid dangerous climate change.

"We may not even know if geosequestration will work by then," he said.

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