Topics: Paris climate conference
E&OE….
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Australia is pushing for the new agreement to include provisions for five yearly reviews.
That would allow nations, including Australia, to increase their targets in future years and provide some level of accountability for the pledges made.
Australia's Environment Minister Greg Hunt has arrived in Paris for the first week of the negotiations and he's spoken to our reporter Melissa Clarke.
MELISSA CLARKE:
Will Paris succeed where Copenhagen failed?
GREG HUNT:
Yes I believe it will. It won't be a perfect outcome but I think it will be a critical outcome and it will be a success.
The reason I say that is we have over 150 world leaders attending on day one.
That is possibly the greatest gathering of world leaders ever and certainly the greatest gathering since the 1948 Universal Declaration conference.
More importantly it's about the issue and about collective will.
Much of the work has been done. The move towards the two degree goal is well underway.
And then the Australian compromise of five year reviews is winning significant support.
MELISSA CLARKE:
You said that it wouldn't be a perfect deal that's reached.
And whilst no-one expects it to be perfect there is plenty of concern that the reason everyone is so optimistic is because the bar is being set too low.
Is that a risk here?
GREG HUNT:
No, I don't think so. I think that there is a sense of gravitas, importance and responsibility.
What are the keys to a global agreement? One, developed and developing countries coming together and that is looking positive.
Of course there will be hiccups during the course of a two week conference but the general direction is strong with the work of China and so many other countries.
MELISSA CLARKE:
Is the imperative though – to get a deal that everyone agrees to – going to limit the ambition behind the framework that you're looking to put in place?
GREG HUNT:
I think that we will get an ambitious outcome and framework.
The objective of keeping temperature rises below two degrees is now widely, if not almost universally, shared.
It will in my view be the fundamental element of the international agreement. It will see countries sign up on the basis of a commitment to working towards that.
My hope and belief is that there will be five yearly reviews and we will also see an agreement on financing and on transparency, or reporting, by countries.
MELISSA CLARKE:
Julie Bishop has described having Malcolm Turnbull in the leadership as a breath of fresh air.
Does coming to this conference under a Turnbull leadership rather than Abbott leadership made your job easier at this conference?
GREG HUNT:
Look I have found that we have been very well received.
Coming to the pre-Paris conference, Australia was singled out along with Canada for applause and recognition by the other nations of the world.
So I would say this – that we are in good standing and well respected.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Australia's Environment Minister Greg Hunt speaking to Melissa Clarke in Paris.
(ENDS)