On this day, 19th September, 1997,
“The 16 member South Pacific Forum meeting was held at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and attended by Prime Minister John Howard. Greenhouse and climate change issues received significant media attention during this meeting. Australia’s position on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions differed strongly from the other 15 nations attending the forum. The AOSIS (particularly Tuvalu) demands were for a binding 20 per cent reduction in 1990 greenhouse gas emissions by 2005, while Australia aimed to avoid language calling for binding targets. At the conclusion of the meeting the Forum statement did not support the AOSIS proposal but urged parties to consider it.”
[source- https://www.forumsec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1997-Communique%CC%81-Rarotonga-17-19-Sep.pdf
On this day the PPM was 364ish. Now it is 420ish – but see here for the latest.
Why this matters.
Australia has been ignoring its neighbours on the existential threat of climate change for a very long time.
What happened next?
Australia carved out a sweet sweet deal at Kyoto. Then still would not ratify. Kept increasing its coal exports, kept hampering the development of renewables locally.