China-Australia Clean Energy and Environment Dialogue

Beijing, 9 and 10 April 2008

Report of the dialogue now available

TRANSCRIPT OF THE HON KEVIN RUDD MP, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA'S PRESENTATION TO THE DIALOGUE

Dialogue Program, Participants List and Speaker Presentations now available

The 2008 visit to China marked another significant milestone in The Global Foundation’s on-going commitment to develop strong, co-operative links with China as one of several nations of strategic importance to Australia.  The major Dialogue in 2008 on the topic of clean energy and the environment was made possible by and builds on the prestige and high regard for the Foundation’s previous work with China, which saw the establishment of the Foundation’s China-Australia Dialogue in 2001. Developing links with other nations was central to the Foundation’s overall objective of facilitating Australia’s global connectedness and global preparedness.

Clean energy and environment: issues and outcomes

Australia faces considerable practical and policy opportunities and challenges in the field of clean energy and environment. Associated activities, such as clean energy technologies, are exciting but relatively recent developments.  China acknowledges that it faces similar challenges and opportunities and is also embarking on a number of exciting initiatives. The Dialogue provided a forum to discuss these common challenges and opportunities, with a view to manage them co-operatively.

Involving business leaders from Australia and China, as well as leading researchers and policy-makers, discussion focused on the current status of energy cooperation between both countries, particularly in relation to the development of clean energy technologies such as ‘clean coal’, LNG, nuclear energy and renewable sources of energy, including solar and wind.  The Dialogue also addressed respective environmental challenges, including pollution and water scarcity and existing and possible cooperative remedial approaches to these challenges.   Given the complementary interests of both countries, emerging policy responses to the challenge of climate change due to global warming were also discussed, as well as possible policy responses at respective national levels. Avenues for cooperation in future international frameworks were also considered.  To enable a frank exchange of ideas without attribution, the Dialogue was conducted on a Chatham House basis, and simultaneous translation facilities were provided.

The Beijing Dialogue coincided with the first official visit to China of the Australian Prime Minister, The Hon Kevin Rudd MP.  Immediately following the private sector Dialogue the Prime Minister and other senior policy-makers from Australia and China joined and spoke at a Roundtable discussion where the Dialogue outcomes were presented and discussed. Ideas for future cooperation were explored in a positive and informal manner capitalizing on the momentum generated by the Dialogue.

The Mission put into effect the Prime Minister’s expressed desire for Australia to play a conciliatory role between developed and developing nations in addressing global climate change and other issues of global concern. Planning is already underway for a Foundation-sponsored dialogue between public and private sector leaders from Australia, China and the United States on matters of energy security and climate change in Washington in September.  It will provide a helpful second track bridge between the two principal global players in future climate change policy considerations.  The outcomes of both dialogues will be significant not only for on-going China/Australia relations but also for fostering wider regional co-operation on these critical issues.