8 January 2006The Australian
A key conference on climate change is set to begin in Sydney this week, but already it has been hit by the withdrawal of its biggest drawcard.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has pulled out of the inaugural meeting of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate due to the poor health of Israeli leader Ariel Sharon.
Australia, the US, Japan, South Korea, China and India last year pledged to form a new climate initiative to bypass perceived problems in the Kyoto Protocol.
These countries account for almost half the world's population, energy and economic output, with China and India alone responsible for generating 20 per cent of the world's greenhouse gases.
Australia and the US refuse to sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, believing it will harm their economies.
Prime Minister John Howard is expected to reaffirm Australia's commitment to signing a new global agreement on clean technologies.
The conference runs over Wednesday and Thursday this week.
