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Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate
Partnership on Clean Development and Climate
APPCDC participating countries:
Australia
China
India
Japan
South Korea
United States
The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, also known as
AP6, is an international non-treaty agreement between Australia, India, Japan,
the People's Republic of China, South Korea, and the United States announced
July 28, 2005 at an Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional
Forum meeting and launched on January 12 2006 at the Partnership's inaugural
Ministerial meeting in Sydney. Foreign, Environment and Energy Ministers from
partner countries agreed to co-operate on development and transfer of
technology which enables reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Ministers
agreed a Charter, Communique and Work Plan that "outline a ground-breaking new
model of private-public taskforcess to address climate change, energy security
and air pollution."
Member countries account for around 50% of the world's greenhouse gas
emissions, energy consumption, GDP and population. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol
(currently unratified by both the United States and Australia), which imposes
mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions, this agreement allows member
countries to set their goals for reducing emissions individually, with no
mandatory enforcement mechanism. This has led to criticism that the
"Partnership" is meaningless by a few uninvolved states (notably EU members)
and environmental groups.
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