U.S. – Australia Relations
Beyond Kyoto - Australia and US Collaboration on Climate Change and Oceans
Canberra— 19 November 2002
Media Release
Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Dr David Kemp
Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr David Kemp, today met with US Undersecretary of Commerce and Administrator of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher to discuss important developments in new climate science occurring as a result of the joint Australia-US Climate Action Partnership, (CAP).
Dr Kemp and Vice Admiral Lautenbacher reviewed progress on innovative joint projects that will help to better predict the world's climate and help reduce the impacts of climate extremes such as droughts and floods and announced the commencement of joint US -Australia work on the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE).
"Droughts have a serious impact, not only on Australia's and the United States' economy, but also that of other countries in our region. These projects will help improve climate prediction," Dr Kemp said.
"In July this year I announced 19 projects under the Australia-US Climate Action Partnership (CAP).
Eight of these projects relate to climate and ocean research and monitoring and today I am delighted to announce with Vice Admiral Lautenbacher the collaboration between our two countries on this important global monitoring programme."
"A key element of GODAE is the Argo programme, through which Australia and the US are leading a global effort to populate the world's oceans with 3,000 highly sophisticated robotic floats which will measure the temperature, salinity and currents down to depths of two thousand metres, in much the same way as weather balloons are used to measure the atmosphere.
"But GODAE is a lot bigger than the Argo project alone. GODAE will also bring together a wide range of ocean observations, using satellites as well as traditional systems like surface-drifting buoys and floats, to measure sea surface temperature, surface winds and wave heights. GODAE will also develop ways of using these detailed observations to improve our understanding of how the oceans drive the global climate."
"By improving our detailed knowledge of the marine climate, we will be able to detect the slow, subtle signals that the ocean gives us on climate change. We have learnt that the oceans are one of the most important drivers of the world's climate. This important project will help us to understand and predict climate events like El Nino and understand the relationship between these natural events and climate change.
The better we understand these phenomena, the better we will be able to predict where droughts and floods may strike next.
Information like this is vital to farmers, fisheries and environmental professionals.
"The US spends more US$4.5 billion per year on climate change science, technology and mitigation, and is currently engaging international partners including Australia in expanding a global climate observation system (GCOS)", said Vice Admiral Lautenbacher.
The eight CAP projects under discussion today will:
Evaluate and improve the capability of climate system models to simulate climate variability and to represent processes, such as clouds, in the climate system;
Measure and explain the interactions between radiation and aerosols and cloud, and improve representation of these processes in climate models;
Improve understanding of the roles of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in the global climate system;
Improve understanding of the role of the Indian Ocean in the global climate system;
Improve integration and sharing of climate modelling results;
Improve understanding of changes in the global carbon budget through expanded observations in the Southern Hemisphere;
Improve the application of ocean observation for the Pacific Islands; and
Meet the needs for improved climate monitoring systems in the Pacific.
A full list of these projects is attached.
"Each of these projects is intended to benefit from joint application of US and Australian expertise and the sharing of technology," Dr Kemp added.
"The cooperation between our two countries will reduce key uncertainties and improve the capacity of climate science to inform the policy-making process and assist our pacific island neighbours address climate change."
"Today's meeting represents an important step in moving the Australia-US Climate Action Partnership forward and I would like to thank Vice Admiral Lautenbacher for his commitment to achieving a more sustainable future.
While the Federal Government has decided that at present it is not in Australia's long term interests to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, we are committed to meeting our Kyoto target of 108% of 1990 emissions by the end of the decade. However, the government believes it is time to look well beyond Kyoto and to develop a policy framework that will take Australia into the decades, and not just the years, ahead.
"The Kyoto Protocol is flawed because it will only deliver 1% cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions when science warns the world needs 50% to 60% cuts by the end of the century.
"This is because the Kyoto Protocol does not require greenhouse reductions from developing countries, which will soon be producing more than half the world's greenhouse gases.
Ratification by Australia could shift long term investment in Australian resource-based industries to developing countries, where our strict environmental regime would not apply and could paradoxically increase global greenhouse gas emission as well as exporting Australian jobs and industry.
"Already, the Government's $1 billion greenhouse abatement programs is on track to deliver about 60 million tonnes annually in emissions reductions - the equivalent of taking all passenger cars off Australia's roads. This will take us two-thirds of the way towards achieving our target and forms a strong platform on which to develop Australia's longer-term strategy.
"We are currently working with industry, non government organisations, community groups and local government to frame the next generation of greenhouse policies to help us meet our target - and take us into the decades beyond."
The Australia-US Climate Action Partnership comprises 19 projects covering the following areas: climate change science and monitoring; renewable and reduced emission stationary energy technologies; engagement with business on technology development, and policy design and implementation; capacity building in developing countries; and greenhouse accounting in the forestry and agriculture sectors (see www.greenhouse.gov.au/international/cap.html for more details).
Media Contacts:
Catherine Job Dr Kemp's Office (02) 6277 7640 or 0408 648 400
Melanie James AGO (02) 6274 1586 or 0419 690 516
Mark Jenkin BOM (03) 9669 4552
Backgrounder
Key Elements of Climate and Ocean Research and Monitoring Projects
Evaluation of Climate System Models - Modelling the global climate system
Collaboration has commenced with a two-month visit by a CSIRO team member, to work with the US Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory staff on ocean model development.
Aerosols and Clouds - Understanding how clouds and aerosols affect climate
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's 'Atmospheric Radiation and Cloud Station' opened in July 2002 in Darwin - enabling collection of data on radiation, cloud and aerosol properties in the tropics, complementing US data.
A key next step is development of a regional calibration facility for AERONET (a global network of sun photometers) at CSIRO/EOC laboratories in Canberra.
Roles of Southern Ocean and Antarctica in Climate - How the Southern Ocean and Antarctica affect climate
Implementation of a Southern Ocean array of profiling floats (the Argo program) in collaboration with the US commenced in October and November.
Role of the Indian Ocean in the Climate System - How the Indian Ocean influences global climate
Cooperative planning and implementation of an Indian Ocean Observing System has commenced with an international Conference held in Mauritius in early November.
Argo profiling floats have been deployed by the US and Australia to update data on the Indian Ocean.
NOAA Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS) - Sharing climate model results
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has provided input to the US NOMADS project on ocean modelling data, product serving and the associated protocol through the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment.
The University of Tasmania, the BMRC and CSIRO Marine Research are collaborating on an external server and portal at the Bureau for exchange of research and operational products, linking to NOMADS and leading to participation in standards development.
Atmospheric Measurements in the Southern Ocean - Measuring CO2 in the southern ocean
Assistance is being provided to the US in establishing sampling opportunities through ships operating from Australian ports.
Applications of Ocean Observations for the Pacific Islands - Observing the Pacific Ocean
Further Australian deployments of Argo floats in the Indian Ocean (off WA) commenced in October.
The Pacific Island Workshop was held in Fiji October 4-7, 2002. A focus of the Workshop was on the Pacific Global Climate Observing System.
Meeting the Needs for Improved Climate Monitoring Systems in the Pacific
A key component of this project, "Enhanced Climate Prediction in the Pacific", was announced by the PM as an Australian initiative at the Pacific Island Forum, with funding by AusAID to $2.2M over 3 years.
The Project Design Document for the AusAID-funded project has been finalised.
The first substantial engagement with the Pacific Island countries is expected to be linked to the next annual meeting of Regional Directors of Pacific Island countries National Meteorological Services (mid-2003).
Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE)
Intensive demonstration phase involving prototype analysis and predication systems using data from an observational network greatly enhanced through the recent global deployment of 3000 autonomous ocean profiling instruments (the Argo project).
Regional partnerships will also be developed to promote optimum use of products and specific projects will target marine ecosystem and coastal issues.
Original document from www.environment.gov.au.
Last update Monday, 19 November 2007
