On the final day of the Global Greens conference in Canberra, delegates from 60 countries voted unanimously to campaign against companies they said helped sway the US against the Kyoto protocol.

The grassroots campaign will focus on Exxon-Mobil, Esso and Total-Elf, and their subsidiaries.

They also approved a world-first charter for green parties setting out environmental and social justice aims, and called for a World Environment Organisation to be established under the auspice of the United Nations to counter the World Trade Organisation.

European Federation of Greens Parties president Pekka Haavisto of Finland said large corporations were making the running on US environmental policy.

"Those companies (are) pressing the Bush administration not to sign or ratify the Kyoto protocol and I think as part of the pressure to get the US back to the negotiating table we have to use all tools," he said.

"Consumer choice is something everyone can do."

Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown said he would start by cutting up his Mobil service station card, issued to Australian members of parliament.

He said the campaign would give Australians a chance to express their frustration over premier John Howard's unwillingness to pressure the US.

"The Howard government had a choice between their grandchildren and the Bush administration and (it's) chosen the Bush administration," Senator Brown said.

"Those who choose their grandchildren might take on one of the oil corporations, and they can do that by determining where they're going to fill up, or better still where they're going to walk."

The conference said the US produced 25 per cent of the world's greenhouse gases and its withdrawal left the Kyoto protocol in doubt, since it requires support from 55 countries producing 55 per cent of greenhouse gases.

The new Greens charter includes commitments to tackle political corruption, poor health and education in developing countries, global warming, human rights abuses and violence.

Delegates said the World Trade Organisation should be subject to environmental controls imposed by the new World Environment Organisation, which would be backed up by an environmental court.

Initiatives passed at the three-day conference include:

Seeking World Heritage protection for New Caledonia's coral reefs

Forming a Green Shield to protect green activists from persecution

Japanese Greens to campaign against woodchipping in Australian forests

Setting up a global green information network.

Copyright © 2001 AFP

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