10 August 2005 - The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that the current measures Australia has introduced to tackle the problems of harmful emissions and global warming, may be inadequate.

Speaking at the launch of Energy Policies of IEA Countries - The Australian 2005 Review, Claude Mandil, executive director of the IEA, said: "Environmental sustainability represents Australia's greatest energy challenge with high and growing carbon emissions."

Although Mandil welcomed the recently announced Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, he warned that assumed technological advances provided no guarantees.

A statement from the IEA, read: "While new technologies will be a key component in tackling the long term problem of climate change, there is no certainty when and to what extent the necessary technologies will be developed. Such technologies would most likely require a carbon price signal to facilitate their implementation."