What does the Garnaut Review say about Australia’s role in helping developing countries?

I’m not aware of the detail of the Garnaut Review on Climate Change. What does it say about Australia’s role on helping our Asia-Pacific in developing countries on this issue? Do you think there are any world leaders in terms of action on climate change for developing countries that we could look to?

The Garnaut Review had a fair bit to say about Australia’s role in helping the Asia-Pacific region. It argued for significant public funding both for mitigation and adaptation to help developing countries adapt. It didn’t quantify the adaptation funding need (it’s extremely difficult), but it suggested that the world would need to put up about $US 50 billion to support mitigation in developing countries with public funding (with more provided through private funding generated through international carbon markets). Australia’s share in this should be $1.5 billion, the Review argued. Not all of it would go to our region, but a substantial chunk would.

As for your question on developing country leaders on climate change, one of the positive things to come out of Copenhagen, or rather the run-up to Copenhagen, was the number of developing countries which made commitments to reduce emissions (not in absolute terms, but below what they would otherwise have been). Countries with such new commitments include China, India and Indonesia, Asia’s three giants. Of course, we have to see if these countries follow through on their new promises. But that they’ve now made them is a big step forward.