Japan, Australia consult on climate change

The Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan have held talks on their respective approaches to tackling climate change.
The leaders reportedly spoke on the telephone for about 15 minutes. Australian officials said that John Howard and Shinzo Abe discussed the approach to climate change to be taken at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit in Sydney in September.
Mr Howard canvassed Australia's aim to get a strong APEC outcome on climate issues, while Mr Abe outlined his new policy to tackle global warming. Mr Howard said Japan's approach was in accord with Australia's thinking.
The Prime Ministers reportedly agreed on the importance of a "post-Kyoto framework", stressing that all major greenhouse gas emitters must move beyond the Kyoto treaty. The US and Australia have refused to ratify the treaty since it was enacted in 2001.