KEY POINTS:
Leaders of Pacific rim countries yesterday agreed to an urgent new focus on climate change, embracing a joint commitment to action by some of largest polluters in the world.
Although the language remained cautious and referred only to "aspirational" greenhouse gas targets after the Kyoto Protocol expires in
2012, the declaration has recognised the United Nations as the key forum for global agreements.
"You're looking at Apec never having a work programme on these issues, to wanting to work one out," Prime Minister Helen Clark said. "So that's progress. We've come a long way from where we were."
The statement included nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, but will confine its approval of reactor-generated power to nations which regard it as safe and efficient.
The statement, announced by Australian Prime Minister John Howard after the first round of leaders' talks yesterday, recognised the need for a long-term aspirational goal for greenhouse gas emissions.
It required all nations to contribute to the reduction according to their capacities and circumstances.
Leaders agreed to a specific, aspirational, 25 per cent reduction in energy intensity on the basis of gross domestic production by 2020. It emphasised clean coal technology and a mix of energy sources including natural gas and biofuels.
The statement set a target of increasing forest cover in the region by 20 million hectares by 2020.
It achieved a key summit goal of finding common ground as a springboard for new negotiations under the UN framework convention in Bali in December, following a meeting of major greenhouse gas-emitting nations in Washington this month.
The leaders' statement provided a compromise: some developing countries are reluctant to set goals and some are critical of its inclusion on this weekend's agenda.
Australia and the US have refused to ratify Kyoto instead forming an Asia-Pacific grouping called AP6, also including China, Japan, South Korea and India. Other developed members of Apec have committed themselves to Kyoto targets, while developing economies support the goals but are not bound by formal commitments.
Most developing countries want climate change negotiations to remain with the UN and have argued strongly against any rigid Apec declaration in Sydney.
They also wanted to ensure the leaders' statement did not compromise their own economic plans, a key and complex issue in negotiations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fossil fuels.
The statement met the insistence of New Zealand and most developing countries that despite hopes by Howard and US President George Bush to move beyond the UN, negotiations should be conducted by the international body.
Their position was hugely strengthened by China's decision to also embrace the UN.