Dear Mr Rudd,

Climate change is the great moral challenge of our age. We are already suffering the impacts and failure to act decisively now will place a terrible burden on future generations.

The Copenhagen climate summit is crucial. It may be our last chance for a strong international treaty to cut greenhouse pollution in time to prevent runaway global climate change.

Your weak emissions reduction target (only 5 - 25% cuts by 2020) falls far short of what the science demands. It undermines the ambition of the global treaty and gives an excuse to every other country that wants to cop out.

I am concerned that Australia is trying to cheat its way through the Copenhagen treaty.

It is not acceptable to simply try to look good on climate change whilst allowing the massive expansion of the coal and other polluting industries. I want our emissions cuts to be actual reductions in greenhouse pollution in Australia - not some complex accounting scam or just paying other countries to cut their emissions.

Australia is a prosperous and creative country and we should be showing leadership, not hedging our bets. I urge you to support:
- Australia committing to cut greenhouse pollution by 50% in the next decade;
- That the majority of these cuts happen here in Australia;
- The use of a fund to protect global forests rather than a free-for-all carbon market.

Adopting stronger and more robust policies will send a powerful signal to the rest of the world and help achieve a stronger global treaty. It will also drive job creation and the transition to a low carbon economy that we so urgently need.

Please remember, Mr Rudd, that you were elected to represent the people of Australia, and when you speak at Copenhagen this December you will be speaking for us - not the big polluters.