Bush, Howard back nuke power ahead APEC summit

By Michael Perry

SYDNEY (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush says nuclear power is a key to tackling climate change, along with new energy technologies, but green groups want Asia-Pacific leaders meeting in Sydney to commit to greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Australia has made climate change a major issue for the 21 leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit this week.

But developing APEC economies, including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, believe little will be achieved at APEC.

"I was surprised this is being suddenly introduced as a priority issue by the Australian chairmanship," Philippine deputy foreign secretary Edsel Custoduo said on Wednesday.

Green groups say the APEC summit will be a failure if the leaders do not commit to binding greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said before APEC that the summit would not set binding targets, but may agree on a post-Kyoto consensus.

"If you truly care about greenhouse gases, then you'll support nuclear power," Bush told a news conference with Howard on Wednesday. "After all, nuclear power enables you to generate electricity without any greenhouse gases."

Howard backs nuclear energy in the fight against climate change, but Australia has no nuclear power plants and there is widespread public opposition to nuclear power in Australia.