A SIGNIFICANT commitment by China to meeting environmental targets would have a major effect on Western Australia, according to former premier and Australian Capital Equity senior adviser, Richard Court. Mr Court told an Institute of Chartered Accountants business forum in Perth last week there was growing interest within China in green technology and renewable energy but major strategies were yet to be implemented. “I think what will be more interesting is when China wakes up on climate change,” he said. Mr Court said the Chinese were looking to harness wind and solar power, and suggested that any future obligation on China to meet environmental targets could have far-reaching consequences. In his speech, Mr Court said it was important for business to understand the way executive and political appointments were made in China. He said the Communist Party’s political structure was influential in determining appointments to major corporations. “What you will see in the next 12 months is a lot of changes taking place in those positions,” he said. When queried on the mining boom and its longevity, Mr Court said it was inevitable that there would be a correction in supply and demand. “I’ve been around long enough to know that when you have a boom like this, you have a bust,” he said. Mr Court said longer-term growth was likely to come from the LNG sector. - Emily Piesse