Australia, criticized for not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, is now calling for the agreement to be abolished. The Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, believes that Kyoto should be replaced with a new global agreement that includes major players like India, China, and the United States. Turnbull expressed doubt that the United States would ever ratify the protocol in its current form. Despite warnings of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, Australia is confident it will meet its targets under Kyoto. Turnbull stated that the protocol's first commitment period is becoming a thing of the past. The Kyoto Protocol, which places limits on emissions for wealthier countries but not for poorer countries like China, will come to an end in 2012. Australia, the largest coal exporter in the world, has chosen not to approve the agreement or impose mandatory reductions on carbon emissions, arguing that it would negatively impact the economy. Instead, Canberra has pledged to spend A$18.5 million ($15.2 million) in China to help reduce emissions by capturing methane from underground mining for electricity generation. China, a member of a different climate agreement along with the US, Australia, Japan, India, and South Korea, has rejected emissions restrictions, fearing they could hinder economic growth. Prime Minister Turnbull believes in practical steps to combat climate change, such as addressing deforestation in developing countries like Indonesia and Brazil, rather than relying on symbolic agreements like Kyoto. He stated that Kyoto's results have been lackluster. The Climate Institute recently announced that Australia, the world's highest polluter per person, would surpass its limit of 108 percent of 1990 greenhouse emissions, a claim Turnbull disputed with the most recent 2005 data. Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne accused Turnbull of trying to hide the fact that energy and transport emissions had increased in the past two years due to the country's mining and commodity export boom. Prime Minister John Howard believes that solutions to climate change should be globally agreed upon, rather than limited to industrialized, primarily European nations like the 'Old Kyoto' agreement. With the government facing re-election later in the year and opinion polls indicating that 80 percent of voters consider climate change a major concern, Howard has introduced several environmental initiatives to strengthen his environmental credentials. Australia is anticipated to prioritize taking action on climate change in the upcoming May 8 Budget, with the government planning to allocate A$10 billion towards improving water use in response to a prolonged period of severe drought.