Australia’s new prime minister Kevin Rudd has ratified the Kyoto Protocol, leaving the US as the only major industrial economy outside the agreement. It was his first act as PM, and will earn him a warm welcome at Bali [ABC, BBC, CBC, but nothing from the DBC]. Meanwhile, Simon Upton in The Press does a bit of “managing down” of expectations of results from Bali, echoing the sentiments of The Economist:
“Disappointment may come in a variety of different guises,†said an official. Those, like the European Union (EU) and activist groups, who want a global deal are not even looking for a road map for the post-2012 era. They will be happy if they manage to stop America, OPEC or the developing countries creating serious roadblocks.