Australian Environment Minister David Kemp has today (April 14th) reiterated his government's refusal to sign the Kyoto pact and insisted reductions in emissions will be achieved regardless.

Whilst abstaining from the pact the Australian government has vowed to reach Kyoto targets by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 108 per cent of 1990 levels by 2008.

However, Dr Kemp said no policy decisions on how to achieve this had been made.

He said the best scientific data available showed climate change was occurring, but that Australia was in striking distance of the Kyoto targets.

The reluctance of the Government to pursue Kyoto's targets has led a number of pressure groups to attack them for not doing enough.

Australian Conservation Council executive director Don Henry said the country's environment policy was 'being written in the dirty streets of the big end of town'.