Fed: Strong economy no threat to environment Hill

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2000
Fed: Strong economy no threat to environment Hill

CANBERRA, April 26 AAP - A strong economy is not a threat to the environment, but can
help deliver greener outcomes, federal Environment Minister Robert Hill has told an international
forum.

Senator Hill told a Washington climate change forum that a change in the mind-set regarding
the economics of greenhouse could be the key to resolving global warming issues.

"We need to challenge the mind-set which says that it is necessary to sacrifice economic
competitiveness to achieve a better environmental outcome," he told the forum.

"In fact, the contrary is the case.

"Strong economics is not only compatible with better environmental outcomes; it can
in fact better ensure environmental improvement.

"The US experience, which is similar to Australia's, is that improved economic performance
and growth has given industries the capacity to invest in new technologies which deliver
better environmental outcomes."

Senator Hill said this was coupled with a growing awareness by businesses that improved
environmental performance could also deliver a better economic bottom-line.

He urged the international community to work together to resolve the outstanding issues
of the Kyoto Protocol.

Under that protocol, Australia negotiated a greenhouse gas emission target of eight
per cent above 1990 levels.

Senator Hill said there must be some flexibility in how that target is achieved.

"Consistent with our argument for flexibility in policies and measures within the domestic
economy, so we argued for flexibility internationally," he said.

"In agreeing to the Kyoto Protocol, we, in essence, said we were prepared to pay a
price for carbon reduction.

"But if that same price could deliver a greater carbon reduction offshore as opposed
to domestically, then we believed there should be flexibility for nations to opt for that
better environmental outcome."

There was a need to engage developing nations in early targeted reductions to achieve
the best global outcome, Senator Hill said.

Australia should be able to trade its use of sinks in which to place carbon against
the mass planting of trees to remove carbon from the atmosphere, he said.

"Therefore we are focusing on initiatives that encourage private sector investment
in revegetation or programs aimed at promoting farm forestry and the establishment of
new plantations.

"It is the perfect example of using a market-based economic instrument to deliver multiple
environmental outcomes.

"It is the ultimate win-win situation."

AAP daw/cd/br

KEYWORD: GREENHOUSE

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.