SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ratified the Kyoto Protocol on climate change in his first official act after being sworn in as leader.

"Today I have signed the instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol," Rudd said in a statement. "This is the first official act of the new Australian government, demonstrating my government's commitment to tackling climate change."

Rudd, who ousted conservative leader John Howard in elections nine days ago on a platform that included reversing the previous government's policy and ratifying Kyoto, was sworn in just hours earlier. The Labor Party leader said ratification of the United Nation's treaty on combating global warming was approved by the first meeting of the government's executive council and later by the governor general.

Three months time

Under United Nations guidelines, ratification of the document will enter into force in 90 days meaning Australia will be a full member of the Kyoto Protocol before the end of March 2008.

"It is… extremely significant that Australia is now committing to meeting hard targets both nationally and internationally," said Joseph Canadell a researcher with government science agency, the CSIRO and director of the Global Carbon Project, based in Canberra. "This comes at a critical crossroads, as it will increase the morale and the momentum to get global emission targets on the table soon after Bali.

"This is a vital first step for Australia. We've had a decade of inaction on this issue. Australia can finally start to build its credibility on the international stage," commented Matthew England of the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. "The next step is to secure the future by establishing a post-Kyoto accord; one that is legally-binding and that minimises the risk of dangerous climate change."

"It's important that countries from the developed world commit – now only the U.S. will remain as a non-signatory- because less developed countries will not come to the table unless they see full commitment from the developing world," added Canadell.

Bali roadmap

Rudd said the Kyoto Protocol was considered to be "the most far-reaching agreement on environment and sustainable development ever adopted."

He will undertake his first foreign visit as prime minister next week when he travels to the Indonesian resort island of Bali for a high level segment of a United Nations conference on climate change.

The conference, which began today, is expected to negotiate a "Bali Roadmap" for the next round of global efforts on climate change when the first round of targets under the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.