Seems like there’s a bright spot in the clouds that had been forming over next month’s Copenhagen climate summit, with the Australian government apparently having struck a deal with the opposition over a revised carbon trading scheme aimed at reducing the country’s emissions.
As this Reuters blog analysis points out, there’s a lot at stake over this issue for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has tried to stake out a position as a transformative leader:
‘For Rudd, this week’s vote on the ETS is more than just domestic politics, this is something with global ramifications. And for a man seeking to burnish his internationalist image, this makes it personal.’
The debate in Australia will be being closely watched in the United States, which itself is apparently ready to propose an emissions target ahead of Copenhagen.