Bali Conference Wrap-Up

The U.N. climate conference in Bali concluded on Saturday, a day later than scheduled, due to a deadlock in negotiations that highlights how difficult it will be to reach a consensus on a new global treaty to combat climate change. 

The deadlock was caused by a disagreement over the wording to be used in the deal that would launch a two-year negotiating process to create a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. 

The delegation from the U.S., which is the only developed nation refusing to join Kyoto’s greenhouse gas reduction commitments, opposed wording calling for rich nations to do more in leading the fight against global warming. Earlier in the week, after much bickering, U.S. negotiators were successful in convincing E.U. delegates to drop emission cut targets of 25%-40% by 2020 from the deal–even after E.U. nations threatened to boycott U.S.-hosted negotiations in Hawaii next year. 

Disappointed by what they felt was a weak proposal by rich nations, developing countries, led by China and India, held their ground on the wording issue, causing the conference to run long and threatening the overall success of the two-week negotiations. 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made an unscheduled return to the conference Saturday afternoon to urge negotiators to find a compromise. Papua New Guinea delegate Kevin Conrad made a stirring speech, addressed to the U.S. delegation, in which he said: "We ask for your leadership, we seek your leadership … if you can’t give us what we want, please get out of the way."

Minutes later Paula Dobriansky, under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs leading the U.S. delegation, backed down, joining the consensus agreement over the wording of the deal. The consensus sets no hard targets or commitments for rich or developing nations, but does lay out a roadmap for future negotiations leading up to climate treaty including developed and developing nations to be finalized in Copenhagen in late 2009.

Negotiators broke into applause upon Dobriansky’s concession. Bill Hare of Greenpeace said he thought it was the first time since 1996 that the U.S. had received applause at a U.N. climate meeting.

The deadlock was not the first disagreement over wording. Delegates spent seven hours one night arguing over whether developing countries should take "action" or make a "contribution" to combat climate change. 

Opinions as to the success of the conference are mixed, though most are in agreement that negotiations, which will begin early next year in Ghana, will only become more difficult. Four meetings are planned for each year leading up to Copenhagen.

Angus Friday of Grenada, who represented small island states at the conference, said, "There was no need for 12,000 people to gather here in Bali to have a watered down text, we could have done that by email."

Highlights of the conference:

–The creation of funds to combat deforestation was one of the most significant events of the conference. The Kyoto Protocol does not address deforestation, which is responsible for roughly one-fifth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

–A new adaptation fund also was established to help poor nations deal with the effects of global warming, including sea rise and drought.

–Newly elected Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd submitted documents for his country to join the Kyoto agreement, leaving the U.S. as the only developed nation not participating.

–Al Gore made a rock-star-like appearance at the conference after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for championing the fight against climate change. He criticized the U.S. for blocking the negotiation process.

–Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, who told reporters "All three things I wanted have come out of these talks — launch, agenda, end date," made several colorful comments throughout the conference, including references to the TV show Star Trek and a comparison in which he said the policy divide between rich and poor nations had fallen like the Berlin Wall.

–Protesters at the conference showed no lack of creativity, as they staged swimming lessons for rising sea levels and dressed as polar bears with signs reading "Save the Humans."

In the U.S. the Bush administration’s reluctance to agree to mandatory greenhouse gas cuts became a more isolated stance, as events in Congress and elsewhere demonstrated a rising tide of climate change awareness. President Bush continues to reject mandatory greenhouse gas cuts, which has led many people to look to the next U.S. president to sign the nation to Kyoto’s successor.

On the campaign trail, even Republican candidates acknowledged the importance of addressing global warming before it’s too late. And Senate Democrats sent a letter to the Bali conference encouraging delegates to take heart in legislative changes happening in the U.S., including the passage of an energy bill by the Senate.