Appendix 4 - Australia's Bilateral Partnerships on Climate Change
Australia is pursuing a multi-pronged international climate
change strategy to build an effective global response to climate change. This
strategy includes action at multilateral, regional and bilateral levels.
Bilateral partnerships can provide a framework to both
engage at a high level on climate change policy issues and focus on practical
and measurable outcomes that benefit both countries.
Australia is currently pursuing bilateral cooperation on
climate change with the United States, Japan, New Zealand, the European Union
and China.
United States - Australia Climate Action Partnership
The United States - Australia Climate Action Partnership
(CAP) was announced on 27 February 2002. In July 2002, the Australian and
United States governments announced a CAP work program that included 19
projects under six themes: climate change science and monitoring; stationary
energy technologies; engaging with business - technology development; engaging
with business – policies, tools and approaches; collaboration with developing countries
to build capacity to deal with climate change; and greenhouse accounting in the
forestry and agriculture sector.
Japan - Australia Practical Collaboration on Climate Change
Practical collaboration on climate change with Japan was
initiated under the Japan-Australia Creative Partnership, announced by both
countries’ Prime Ministers in May 2002. Australian and Japanese environment
officials are exploring cooperation under three thematic areas: ways to engage
all countries in a response to climate change; measurement and accounting for
greenhouse sinks; and energy and technologies. Work is under way to implement or
further develop specific projects.
New Zealand - Australia Climate Change Partnership
In July 2003, the Australian and New Zealand Governments
announced a New Zealand - Australia Climate Change Partnership, built around
five themes: engaging with business and local government on technology
development, policy design and implementation; building on existing cooperation
on energy efficiency; measuring and reducing emissions from the agricultural
sector; further enhancing climate change science and monitoring; and working together
with our Pacific Island neighbours to address the regional challenges posed by
climate change. The first projects undertaken under the Partnership were
announced at UNFCCC COP9 in December 2003.
European Union - Australia Cooperation on Climate Change
Climate change was identified as an area for cooperation
between the EU and Australia as part of a broader agenda for cooperation
identified under the April 2003 Review of the Joint Declaration on Relations
between the EU and Australia. Cooperation with the EU is being explored around
four themes: technology development and deployment; climate science, impacts
and adaptation; harmonisation of emissions monitoring, reporting, verification and
certification procedures; and evolution of mitigations commitments.
China - Australia Climate Bilateral Cooperation on Climate Change
Officials from Australia and China held a workshop in
Beijing in September 2003 where they agreed on a Joint Declaration on Bilateral
Cooperation on Climate Change, which sets out cooperation in the following
areas: climate change policies; climate change impacts and adaptation; national
communications (greenhouse gas inventories and projections); technology
cooperation; and capacity building and public awareness.
Source: Australian
Greenhouse Office Fact Sheet February 2004 at http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/international/publications/pubs/fs-bilaterals.pdf
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