US climbdown a mere illusion, say observers
Azhar Ghani, Straits Times 16 Dec 07;
THE apparent about-turn by the United States yesterday in its stance on the climate change deal was widely seen as a 'cave-in', but for all the drama surrounding it, the climbdown seemed surprisingly easy.
The reversal came just minutes after Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky, the US lead negotiator, rejected the tabled text on a global consensus to start two years of negotiations on a new climate change deal.
Delegates immediately showered her with sharp verbal attacks and boos.
'If you are not willing to lead, then get out of the way!' demanded Papua New Guinea delegate Kevin Conrad.
Suddenly Ms Dobriansky gave in. The US would allow the adoption of the so-called 'Bali road map', she said.
But some observers felt that the apparent turnaround by the Bush administration, which has consistently blocked international efforts on global warming pacts, was not a reversal at all.
Its initial objection to the text was merely a negotiating tactic, they believe, aimed at getting as much out of the talks as possible.
In that the US succeeded - yesterday's consensus fell short of earlier international expectations but within the limits of the US delegation's mandate.
As China's deputy delegation head Su Wei said: 'The final text was very weak, so it shouldn't be difficult for the US to accept it. It didn't require the US to do a lot.'
Having made sure that its core position would not be compromised, the US might have been trying to see how far it could push its lower-priority demands, added observers.
The consensus achieved yesterday is a two-year road map aimed at producing a new accord to fight climate change by the end of 2009 to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
It calls for all developed nations to take on binding emissions 'commitments or actions', while requiring developing nations to make efforts to limit their greenhouse gas output.
Demands for the Bali accord to include the goal of halving these emissions by 2050, and a commitment by industrialised economies to slash their own emissions by 2020, helped set the horse-trading in motion.
Both of those points had been set down by the European Union and supported by developing countries as a prerequisite for negotiations in the next two years.
In the end, these goals were relegated to a footnote in the agenda - effectively watering down what was supposedly agreed upon.
The spurning of these objectives by the US mirrored its response to the Kyoto Protocol, which it rejected despite the fact that it is the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter.
Mr Hans Verolme, of the conservation group WWF, told AFP that 'the overwhelming majority of countries are progressive, they're pushing for a deal, and the (US) administration was out on a wrecking mission'.
Indian chief negotiator Chandrasekhar Dasgupta noted that the Kyoto Protocol at least had specified emission-reduction targets for industrialised nations.
'We're hugely disappointed,' he said.
'We've always felt that there was a movement to undermine the spirit of the Kyoto Protocol from day one of the talks.'
Thus, with nothing to lose anyway, the US made it look like it had given in and jumped on the bandwagon to curb global warming.
Agreement at climate talks - finally
Arti Mulchand, Straits Times 16 Dec 07;
DELEGATES at the United Nations climate conference finally hammered out a plan to fight global warming, after more than two weeks of tough negotiations.
The agreement came more than a day after the 190 nations busted a Friday deadline for delivering a deal.
European and US envoys duelled into the final hours over a European Union proposal that the Bali mandate suggest an ambitious goal for cutting industrial nations' emissions - by 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.
The EU and others said the goals were needed to direct upcoming talks. But the guidelines were eliminated after the United States, joined by Japan and others, argued that targets should come at the end of the two-year negotiations, not the beginning.
An indirect reference was inserted as a footnote instead.
But, just when it appeared an agreement was within reach yesterday morning, developing nations argued for more recognition that they needed technological help from rich nations.
US Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky baulked at that at first but finally relented, after India and others suggested minor adjustments.
'After hearing the comments... we were assured by their words to act,' Ms Dobriansky said. 'So with that, we felt it was important that we go forward.'
The resulting agreement was hailed as a turning point in the world's struggle to come to grips with rising global temperatures that scientists say will lead to widespread drought, floods, higher sea levels and worsening storms.
The so-called 'Bali road map' launches two more years of formal negotiations. These will spell out what each country will have to do to slow emissions of global warming gases after 2012, when the current deal - the Kyoto Protocol - ends.
'What we have seen disappear is the Berlin Wall of climate change,' said UN climate chief Yvo de Boer. 'This is a real breakthrough, a real opportunity for the international community to successfully fight climate change.'
The road map also scored on other fronts: pilot projects to slow deforestation will begin, and a fund to help poor countries adapt to climate change was kickstarted.
For environmental campaigners, the victory was bittersweet.
Greenpeace International's executive director Gerd Leipold complained that the 'science has been relegated to a footnote', in the same year that UN scientists warning about global warming won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Nonetheless, few could deny what Bali has achieved.
As Indian Science Minister Kapil Sibal said: 'What is at stake is saving future generations. It's not what I commit or what you commit, but what we commit together.'
Panic before the pact
Climate change deal finally sealed - but not before jeers, accusations and missing ministers
Arti Mulchand, Straits Times 16 Dec 07;
DESPITE the happy ending to the global climate change talks in Bali yesterday, the morning started badly.
False starts, jeers, even accusations of conspiracies erupted.
It all came about as a result of the conflict, disappointment, restlessness and sheer exhaustion that had built up at the talks involving 190 nations over the last two weeks - and a day.
The final draft of the declaration was new to 98 per cent of the delegates here, since it was cobbled together by a handful of ministers. That prompted splintered meetings.
Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar finally opened the fragile formal session at 9am, with a warning that even 'minor changes' to the text would 'compromise our ability to reach an agreement'.
Yet no one seemed to listen.
India, among others, wanted a change. Then the meeting stalled three times because several ministers went missing. China took a swipe at the secretariat for the way things were proceeding and demanded an explanation from United Nations climate chief Yvo de Boer. Clearly exhausted, he was almost in tears.
By early afternoon, the panic was apparent. The lobby was abuzz with gossip - not only were the G77 developing countries plus China at odds with the United States, but the group had divisions within itself. Smaller countries like Bangladesh wanted their responsibilities differentiated from bigger emitters like India.
A group representing small island states strategically positioned itself right outside the area where ministers met, to 'drown their sorrows while waiting to drown', as a handwritten sign declared. That momentarily lightened the mood.
The drafting team put a damper on the impromptu party, though, with the news that emissions targets suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scientists had been relegated to a footnote.
Grenada's ambassador to the UN, Mr Angus Friday, who had spent most of the evening anxiously clutching his cup of coffee, found it hard to hide his disappointment.
'There was no need for 12,000 people to be gathered here in Bali to have a watered-down text. We could have done something like that by e-mail,'' he said.
The breakthrough came at 2.19pm when the US backed down and joined the consensus.
At 2.31pm, Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar announced consensus on a deal to launch two years of talks on a new global treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, triggering wild applause and a standing ovation.
The celebrations that followed were far from raucous, however.
Indeed, many had come to the finale with suitcases in tow. They said goodbye to Bali as soon as the messy business of saving the planet was done.
When asked what he was going to do, Mr de Boer said: 'I am just looking forward to being in a bath with a beer.'
