English Transcript

Cập nhật 16/07/2008 10:14:00

Some of the world's leading industrialised nations today get a chance to join the 'big 8t' to talk about climate change and the world economic outlook. Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, flew into the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido late yesterday, as countries in the G8 moved a little closer to agreement on a long-term cut in global emissions.

Presenter: Tony Eastley; Speaker: Lyndal Curtis, correspondent.

LYNDAL CURTIS: The G8 leaders have agreed on a goal, what they've called a shared vision of cutting emissions by 50% by 2050. It is significant because the US has been very reluctant to sign up to any deal which doesn't involve the major developing nations of China and India, and yesterday the G8 leaders did call on the major developed nations to join them in cutting emissions.

But the deal is not a binding target and there is a question of what it applies to. Whether it's cutting emissions from the levels they are now or from 1990 levels. And there's also a question of what happens in the medium term; the G8 leaders did say they would like aggressive cuts in the medium term, but those haven't, we haven't seen the full scope of those.

TONY EASTLEY: Now Kevin Rudd has arrived in Hokkaido. What part will he be able to play at this G8 meeting?

LYNDAL CURTIS: Well it will be interesting today because the leaders of those major developing nations China and India, as well as Australia and 5 other nations are sitting around the G8 table, at what's called the major economies meeting. And Kevin Rudd says that's a meeting of the countries emit 80% of the world's greenhouse gases.

So the G8 leaders will have a chance to put directly their shared vision to those countries that they want to sign up. All the leaders will be in that major economies meeting. They will all have a brief time to speak. I think it's about 6 minutes they each have to speak and then they'll also move on to discuss other issues, particularly work economic issues and the question of food security with rising oil prices, rising food prices.

The G8 leaders yesterday said they were deeply concerned at the steep rising food prices and that will certainly be a matter for discussion today. Kevin Rudd has said on climate change that he does want this meeting to push ahead the momentum towards the world having binding targets on greenhouse gas emissions and it does seem at the moment that may be something which is likely to happen.

TONY EASTLEY: Only 6 minutes at the table, he'll barely get warmed up. But Kevin Rudd will also be talking to individual leaders wont he?

LYNDAL CURTIS: Yes, he will, but the countries today. The 16 countries will have the major economies meeting. They'll also have a working lunch. So they have a little more time than 6 minutes to have a chat. But Mr Rudd will also be seeking one on one meetings, what I think he has called pull asides, where he will have quick informal chats with leaders.

He'll be targeting specific issues. One of those is likely to be finding a successful conclusion to the current round of world trade talks. The world trade talks are due to wrap up soon and there is a sense of urgency about getting an agreement.

There is a meeting scheduled for the 21st of this month and we believe Mr Rudd does want to push countries to sign some sort of deal particularly on agriculture and what's called the industrial sector.