In its case, reality has to do with its huge dependence on coal exports. Officially, its climate change policy calls for ''fairness and equity'' through ''differentiation of emissions targets''. Senator Warwick Parer, the minister for resources and energy, says Australia is taking an ''effective and credible stance'' on climate change, in the face of ''international rhetoric not yet supported by achievable action plans''. For instance, Australia's science and industry body has estimated that the impact of global warming will see winter rainfall falling by up to 20 percent over most of mainland Australia within the next century. This will greatly affect agricultural production, experts say.
Conservationists say climate change also tips the balance of ecosystems.
For instance, with dramatically reduced snowfall, the endangered tiny mountain pygmy possum is unlikely to survive in the wild in the alpine areas of southern Australia. In a bid to blunt criticism, the government recently released a 128 million U.S. dollar package of greenhouse abatement measures. This included making more than 21 million U.S. dollars available in loans and grants for renewable energy projects, a pledge to increase the market share of solar and wind energy to 2 percent of national electricity generation, and creation of a new office to coordinate spending on greenhouse gas reduction. The package has positive initiatives ''but would still leave Australia a long way behind international greenhouse best practice'', said Michael Krockenberger, acting director of the Australian Conservation Foundation, one of the country's largest conservation bodies. There is also in place a voluntary accord between government and industry, called 'Greenhouse Challenge', that aims to reduce industry emissions of carbon dioxide each year.