Australia's Copenhagen warning, aims at compromise

Australia on Monday said crunch climate change talks in December would fail if a "one size fits all" approach was adopted, instead suggesting a compromise deal aimed at developing nations.

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said that under the scheme, developing countries would agree to binding goals in areas such as deforestation or renewable energy, rather than signing up to economy-wide emissions targets.

Ahead of December's UN-sponsored talks in Copenhagen, Wong said flexibility was needed to break the deadlock between developed and developing nations.

"A one-size-fits-all is not going to get the agreement we need," she told public broadcaster ABC from Washington, where she presented the compromise proposal to a meeting last week of the world's 17 biggest carbon polluters.

"We simply won't get the broad participation from major developing economies that the climate needs."

The Australian compromise seeks to find a formula acceptable to developing nations, who argue their economic advancement should not be hobbled to fix a climate problem largely created by rich countries.

Wong said participants in the US talks, which move to New York this week, had shown interest in her proposal.

"It's certainly been one of the issues that's been the subject and focus of discussion as one of the ways forward," she said.

Local media said US climate change envoy Todd Stern had described it as "useful" and "constructive".

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said time was running out to find a compromise before Copenhagen and he hoped this week's G20 summit in Pittsburgh could advance the talks.

"There's a danger, speaking absolutely frankly, that options for final decision in Copenhagen are left too late, because we are now I think less than 80 days away from Copenhagen," he told reporters in New York.

"There are big questions and big decisions to be made on targets for developed countries, on verifiable commitments for developing countries, about bringing down greenhouse gas emissions."

Australia has pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to 25 percent of 2000 levels by 2020 if a comprehensive agreement is reached in Copenhagen.

(Agencies)