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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Locks In Second Stage Of The Kyoto Protocol For Emission Reductions At COP21

Turnbull Locks In Second Stage Of The Kyoto Protocol At Paris Conference
VALLETTA, MALTA - NOVEMBER 27: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull arrives for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on November 27, 2015 near Valletta, Malta. The biennial summit meeting of Commonwealth nations is attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, along with The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. (Photo by Toby Melville - Pool /Getty Images)
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VALLETTA, MALTA - NOVEMBER 27: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull arrives for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on November 27, 2015 near Valletta, Malta. The biennial summit meeting of Commonwealth nations is attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, along with The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. (Photo by Toby Melville - Pool /Getty Images)

John Howard didn't ratify it. Kevin Rudd signed it. Tony Abbott undermined it and now Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed we're on board for another round.

Australian prime minsters have a love/hate relationship with the Kyoto Protocol -- a 1992 agreement stating global warming is man made, and all signed nations must reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a target system.

At the Conference of the Parties 21 (COP21) in Paris, Turnbull confirmed Australia would ratify the second section of the protocol -- which carries through to 2020.

"We firmly believe that it is innovation and technology which will enable us both to drive stronger economic growth and a cleaner environment," Turnbull said.

The protocol locks in Australia to meet a 5 percent emissions reduction target by 2020.

Greens Deputy Leader Senator Larissa Waters said Australia should be doing more to end the use of coal-fired power and switch to renewable energy.

"Trumpeting ratifying 'Kyoto two' rings hollow when both the 2020 and 2030 targets set by Abbott and kept by Turnbull utterly ignore the science, and would see Australia miss out on the economic profitability from transitioning to a clean energy future,” Waters told reporters in Paris.

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