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Official News - December 2007
► Australia: Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and post-2012 agreement negotiations
Australia is set to become a full member of the Kyoto Protocol before the end of March 2008. The Australian Government is committed to meeting its Kyoto obligations, and to negotiating an equitable and effective post-2012 agreement.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd signed the instrument of ratification for the Kyoto Protocol on 3 December as the first official act of the new Government. The Australian Government is committed to:
- meeting our Kyoto target;
- reducing emissions by 60 per cent on 2000 levels by 2050;
- establishing a national emissions trading scheme by 2010; and
- a 20 per cent target for renewable energy by 2020.
Australia will participate actively and constructively in the negotiations working towards a post-2012 agreement. Australia backs mutually supportive and comprehensive negotiations on both the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Protocol with the aim of forging an equitable and effective post-2012 agreement outcome that includes:
- concerted international action with all economies contributing to shared global goals in ways that are equitable, and environmentally and economically effective; and
- a common understanding on a long-term global goal for emissions reductions.
A post-2012 agreement needs to encompass both developed and developing countries if we are to be successful in tackling climate change.
► Awards recognise export success of Australian business
The recent 2007 Australian Export Awards reflected the increasing diversity of Australian export businesses in fields such as health sciences, design and entertainment, information and communications technology, and financial services.
The winners were announced in Brisbane on 22 November.
The top honour went to Cochlear Ltd as the 2007 Australian Exporter of the Year. Cochlear Ltd is a global leader in the development and manufacture of implantable hearing solutions. The company has a 70 per cent share of the global market for the product and exports to more than 90 countries.
The Emerging Exporter Award went to Unistraw International Limited, which has developed an internationally-patented drinking straw which can add flavour, vitamins, nutrition and even pharmaceuticals to liquid sipped through it.
The Arts, Entertainment and Design Award went to Imagination Entertainment. The South Australian-based firm is a global games and media company which creates, produces and distributes interactive entertainment products to the world through 85,000 retail outlets.
Two outstanding Australian exporters - Ausenco and Rio Tinto Iron Ore - were inducted into the Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame. Ausenco, which specialises in engineering, project and construction management, and the operation of mineral processing plants, operates in 33 countries. Rio Tinto Iron Ore is the world's second largest supplier of iron ore, with infrastructure in Western Australia as well as operations in Canada and Brazil, and new projects in Guinea in West Africa and in India.
The award winners provide examples of the committed and innovative enterprises that can deliver strong and sustainable export growth for Australia.