Compare and Contrast the Australian Government Policies Relating to Climate Change with those of Singapore

Compare and Contrast the Australian Government Policies Relating to Climate Change with those of Singapore

Australia and Singapore just like other nations are facing climatical changes effect. This is why their governments have put in place policies to address this problem. This article will discuss the comparison and contrast policies laid down in these countries.

Comparison and Contrast

Australia is facing adverse climatic change resulting from great emissions from various sectors. There are emissions from green house. Its emission has almost doubled what it was in the past. In fact, the gases emitted from the green house go as far as 1,500ppm CO2-e around the year 2100 (The Treasury, 2009). On the other hand, Singapore is also facing several threats in the climate change. Singapore does not suffer from many emissions like Australia. Most of the emissions are from carbon dioxide. One of its threats is the rising of sea levels and if care is not taken in it will adversely affect the country's economy. Much of the land is being taken away by water bodies (Choo, 2007)

The Australian government has a procedure of estimating the cost of effects that the emissions have caused then this has helped it come up with policies on conservation of the environment (The Treasury, 2009).

The knowledge of what is happening in the climate change in Australia is attributed to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Climate in Australia is hot, dry and sometime it keeps on changing. The temperatures can go up by 0.9oc though they change from place to place. There have been variations in rains also. For instance sometimes there are heavy rainfalls and at times normal rains. In the recent past, the droughts experienced may not be compared by those in the past. There have been extremities in both ends (The Treasury, 2009).

Its government has implemented some policies to aid in this tremendous change in the climate. It joined the international bodies in the concern of vast climatic changes. For example in 1992 it joined the United Nations Framework Convention in its plight for climate change (Yusuf, 2008 p. 13). It has never stopped in its commitment to the same body. In 1997 it also joined the Kyoto Protocol which the country in the reduction of emissions. The country through this commitment was to reduce it percentage of emission to 108%. Though it pulled out of the Kyoto protocol in 2007 after the United States had done the same. With a change in Government, came a change in environmental policy and full acknowledgement of the climate change problem. The former government did not do much of the changes needed to curb the climatical changes (Yusuf, 2008. p. 13).The new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, emphasized on the environment as the main factor to be discussed when he went in to office. This was felt during his first commitment to bring back the Kyoto Protocol in Bali. The Rudd Government has brought about several changes for instance its commitment to reduce emissions to 60% in the year 2050 as one of its targets. The same government has also come up with AETS as one of its goals for 2010 (Yusuf, 2008, p. 14).

Singapore on the other hand through such bodies as NCCS, ( National Climate Change Strategy) which was give out in the year 2008 and other systems like NEA, National Environmental Authority, are working together to deal with the problem of climate change. Unlike Australia, the country does not have a policy of cutting down the emission rate in the country (Hamilton-Hart, 2009). Singapore instead of emphasizing on cutting down of emissions, is encouraging the development of clean energy industries to help its citizens It also promotes the Clean Development Mechanism as stipulated by Kyoto Protocol.. It also stresses on competition as a strategy.

Under its strategies also it is committed to inform its citizens on the conditions of climate change in the country. It also wants to pull its efforts to mitigate the several emissions that affect the climate for example that of green house. It also lays down strategies through the bodies concerned with the environmental conservation to find measures that will help curb climatical problems (Ministry of the Environment and Water Conservation, 2008).

Being a country next to the waters, Singapore has resorted to seek help from Dutch to assist them in building dikes this is because out of the current global warming, it may not be clear how far the sea levels will rise (Choo, 2007) .The prime minister said they went for the Dutch because unlike them, they are skilled over the same (Spiegel, 2007).

Australia shares the same policies in dealing with climatic changes. During a meeting in Singapore on 21st November 2007, all the countries which attended the meeting came with one concern of dealing with environmental related issues. Some of the polices which these countries wanted to have in common and ensure their implementations were:

Emphasize on the role which each country should play in addressing the problem of climatic changes. Those countries which are already established are expected to take a lead in this. The problem of green house is common in the two countries and so to curb the problem they both emphasize on the reduction of these emissions so as to help prevent the atmospheric pollution. In addition, they both emphasize on the use of campaigns to reach out to people and inform them of the adverse climatic changes and then emphasize on the role of every individual in ensuring that all these are adhered to. They also have something in common; they are both committed to meting the 2012 goal of international climate change as advocated by UNFCC. Singapore has also had conferences to address issues concerning energy and climatic change in June 2008 (Asean, 2007).

In addition, Singapore has also formed a Partner consortium of Singapore-based environmental technology companies which look into the issue of reducing emissions into the atmosphere. It has also been a member of the UN in the Framework Convention on Climate Change for about twelve years (Sei, 2006).

Australia and Singapore have also taken an initiative of forming a commission to inform the government and the public on the conditions of climate change in the country. The two also emphasize on the exchange of ideas with more developed countries like the United States of America. Financing environmental based programs is one of the key roles the two governments are emphasizing on. Other policies in Australia include Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme this is meant to cut down the emissions as stipulated by the Kyoto Protocol. In addition, the Australian Climate Change Regulatory Scheme has taken over to ensure that the reduction of gas emission is achieved. This is by ensuring that there is public awareness and by offering education and other relevant programs. It also emphasizes on the participation the community n order to achieve this goal (Australian Government, 2007).

Australia has a body called AFMA which denotes Australian Financial Markets Association which has also played a role in helping look into climatic changes. One of this is the promotion of renewal energy use. It motivate peoples over the same, occasionally it has been awarding people certificates over the same. It is also working to help the country get a good market for its carbon. Reported by the Minister of Climate Change, it is necessary to know the schemes of trade especially because it will help in decision making for the ministry (AMA, 2008).

As portrayed fro the findings, it is clear that the two countries have similarities and also differences in problems that affect their climates. This is why there are similar and different policies set by every country to tackle the problem. It is of importance not only to these countries that the climatic changes be looked into but also to the whole world.

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