A year ago the world looked upon Australia with admiration as new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ratified the Kyoto Protocol at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali.

Rudd’s decision, his first official act as PM, left the US as the sole developed nation opposed to serious action on climate change. Thankful international delegates lavished Australia with praise and a standing ovation.

Fast forward to this week’s UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland. Despite Climate Change Minister Penny Wong’s plans to officially announce our emissions targets after the conference concludes, it is widely expected that Australia will go for a reduction of between 5 and 15% by 2020. Delegates, particularly from developing nations, have become increasingly frustrated by Australia’s refusal to consider reductions at the 25-40% level which many consider crucial to preventing the most extreme effects of climate change. The resulting rhetoric differs markedly from a year ago.

We compare reactions to Australia’s stance at both conferences. They are poles apart.

BALI:

  • I think I can speak for all present here by expressing a sigh of relief. — conference host and Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar
  • I think that it was an emotional and spontaneous reaction to a very significant political decision on the part of the Australian government to ratify the Kyoto protocol. The long applause in fact reflects people’s appreciation for the courage shown by Australia to take this dramatically different position, to engage even more strongly with the international community on the question of climate change. — UNFCCC executive secretary Yvo de Boer
  • I don’t think it will put pressure on the Bush administration to ratify Kyoto, but at the same time, I believe it will put pressure on the US to become serious in being part of a post-2012 agreement … The earlier Australia can have its views heard, the better. — Head of the European Commission’s delegation to the conference Artur Runge-Metzger
  • I salute Europe and Japan for the steps they’ve taken in recent years to meet the challenge, and the new government in Australia, which has made solving the climate crisis its first priority.” — Climate guru Al Gore
  • By refusing until now to ratify Kyoto, Australia has been a spanner in the works of the international community in avoiding dangerous climate change … The Rudd Government has pulled out that spanner, propelling Australia from a laggard to a leader. — Chief Executive of WWF Australia Greg Bourne
  • When Prime Minister Rudd was first inaugurated, the first act he took was signing the Kyoto Protocol in Bali in December last year … He became a hero at that time. There was overwhelming welcome and applause, and praise for him by the member states.” — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in interview with The Weekend Australian

POZNAN:

  • Australia turned up in Bali last year with a very enhanced reputation because of its ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, but now the rubber is hitting the road and it’s time for them to live up to international expectations … It is a very timely reminder that if you want to build bridges between developed and developing countries Australia needs to put on the table at least a 25 per cent reduction by 2020. — Climate Institute policy and research director Erwin Jackson
  • Japan, Russia, Australia and Canada have avoided putting their numbers on the table for too long … They now need to come forward with credible and ambitious mid-term targets within the 25 per cent to 40 per cent range.” — South African Environmental Affairs Minister Marthinus Van Schalkwyk
  • If we did not have these targets, I think we would go away from Copenhagen (2009 conference) empty-handed … Outsiders would say: it (Australia) is acting like a developing country — it is very strange … If you cannot do it, how can you ask us to do it? — Chinese Experts Committee for Climate Change member Dr Jiahua Pan, reported in The Age 
  • It’s hard to find the spirit of Bali here. Countries seem to want to see procedural decisions here at Poznan, and leave the substance for later … The EU is in retreat mode … Canada, Japan and Australia are the worst offenders. — WWF South Africa spokesperson Richard Worthington
  • We were all so happy last year in Bali when the Rudd Government was elected. The first thing they did was to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and come to Bali to present the ratification instrument for Australia … [We had] such high hopes for Australia and now it seems that it is Groundhog Day because they are trying to wriggle their way out of putting their number on the table … Frankly, all of us at the Climate Action Network are baffled by the fact that some countries like Canada, Japan, New Zealand and even Australia are trying to pretend this didn’t happen in Bali, like we haven’t already agreed that what is needed is 25 to 40 per cent … It is frankly outrageous that these countries — among the richest countries on the face of this planet — are trying to use every excuse in the book to not have to deal with the problem; we think this is unacceptable and needs to change.” — Spokesperson for environmental association Equiterre, Steven Guilbeault