FACTBOX: Australia's carbon footprint

(Reuters) - Australia in 1997 signed the Kyoto Protocol, which set targets for developed countries to limit Greenhouse gas emissions, blamed for global warming, but did not ratify the agreement until December 2007.

Former conservative Prime Minister John Howard, who lost power after almost 12 years in office last November, refused to ratify the agreement, saying it would unfairly hurt Australia's economy and reliance on coal for energy and export income.

Left-leaning Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd signed documents to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on December 3, 2007, as his first official act after being sworn into power, and has promised to introduce carbon trading in 2010.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, Australia must limit emissions growth to 108 percent of 1990 levels by 2012. The country says it is on track to meet its Kyoto target.

Here are some details about Australia's carbon emissions.

* Australia's net Greenhouse emissions totaled 576 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, or about 1.5 percent of world emissions.

* Emissions in 2006 were 4.2 percent higher than 1990 levels, despite a 47 percent increase from stationary energy.

* Australia emits 28.1 tons of carbon per person, the highest per capita level in the developed world and five times more per person than China, due to use of coal for electricity.

* Transport and Energy account for 69.6 percent of Australian emissions, or 400.9 million tons.

* Stationary energy, which includes electricity generation, petroleum refining and gas processing, accounts for 49.9 percent of emissions, or 287.4 million tons.

* Transport accounts for 14 percent of emissions, or 79.1 million tons. Road transport and passenger cars accounted for 12 percent of national emissions.

* Agriculture created 15.6 percent of emissions, or 90.1 million tons.

* 10.9 percent of Australian emissions, or 62.8 million tons, come from sheep and cattle, due to gases produced when they digest food.

* Land use and forestry account for 6.9 percent of emissions, or 40 million tons, down more than 70 percent from 96.5 million tons in 1990.

* Carbon dioxide represents 74 percent of Australian emissions (427.8 million tons), methane 20.5 percent (118 million tons), and nitrous oxide 4 percent (24.2 million tons).

* The energy sector is the main source of carbon dioxide (86 percent), while agriculture is the main source of methane (59 percent).

* Australia is the world's biggest coal exporter, with coal used to generate about 77 percent of Australia's electricity. Poland, China and South Africa also rely on coal for more than 75 percent of electricity generation.

* Australia has the world's largest reserves of uranium and is a major uranium exporter, but has no domestic nuclear power.

* Limited carbon trading already exists in Australia. The New South Wales state introduced a Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme in 2003, which forces electricity suppliers to meet Greenhouse targets by investing in projects to offset emissions. The Australian Capital Territory has a similar scheme.

Sources: Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory; Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics)

(Reporting by James Grubel)