Across asia: Australia

PM tells EU to reduce emissions

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday the European Union should not lecture him about refusing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions when much of Europe is falling short of its carbon reduction targets.

At the start of a UN climate change conference in Belgium on Monday, EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas lashed out at the United States and Australia for their reluctance so far to join Europe and other rich countries in fighting climate change. The pair are the only industrialized countries that have refused to endorse the 1997 Kyoto pact.