John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia, although rejecting the Opposition Leader's proposal of cutting 60 percent in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, signalled that he would introduce other measures on the issue of climate change.
From the summit, $170 million was allocated to a national project examining the impact of global warming on Australia. Further Peter Shergold, the most senior public service adviser within the Commonwealth government, will prepare a report outlining the potential of setting up a national emissions trading scheme.
In Alive magazine, Jim Wallace, Managing Director of the Australia Christian Lobby, wrote that, 'there now seems to be an overwhelmingly strong scientific consensus that the climate is changing and this change will have significant consequences.'
Wallace further wrote in the magazine that the greatest impact would be felt by those 'least able to bear it.' He said that it was a Christian duty to raise concerns over climate change by alerting the politicians.
"As Christians, we have a duty to be stewards of creation and to express God's love and care to all people made in His image," Wallace wrote. "Consequently, more and more Christians are starting to raise concerns over climate change as a very real moral issue…So how can we respond here in Australia? One way is by making politicians aware that we care about this issue."
Meanwhile Christian Aid, an international relief agency, was working in 50 countries with 700 partner organisations, to recruit people to its climate change campaign.