Charles Clover, Telegraph 2 Dec 07;
The United Nations climate change conference that begins on the tropical island of Bali tomorrow is likely itself to be a significant contributor to global warming, despite attempts to “offset” its emissions.
The 15,000 politicians, civil servants, green and industry lobbyists and journalists who will fly in are estimated to emit the equivalent of more than 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the annual emissions of the African state of Chad.
The UN organisers and Indonesian government will announce a plan to offset the emissions of the whole conference by planting millions of trees.
But tree planting is not a form of carbon offsetting accepted by the British government or the UN’s climate change experts for their own travel because it is difficult to calculate how much carbon trees take up or verify how many are cut down or decay, releasing carbon into the atmosphere, in subsequent years.
The delegation of three ministers and over 40 civil servants, including the treasury’s former chief economist, Sir Nicholas Stern, will offset their flights using the Government’s own, highly-rated fund which buys up emissions of industrial gases with global warming potential under an approved UN scheme.
The meeting, which runs from today to December 14, aims to create a framework for a post-2012 climate change treaty that would replace the Kyoto protocol.
However, the surge in climate change’s political importance and interest to new areas of business such as carbon trading, is expected to boost the number of delegates travelling to the resort of Nusa Dua, a palm-lined promontory on Bali’s south coast, from the 10,000 who had registered by today to 15,000 at least.
Among those expected to attend, some by private jet, include Arnold Schwarznegger, Governor of California, and Al Gore, the former US vice-president, and Leonardo, DiCaprio, the actor.
Peter Garrett, the former singer with the Midnight Oil rock band and now a member of Kevin Rudd’s new Labor government in Australia, is expected to attend.
Hotels, many of which fall into the bracket of some of the most luxurious in the world, have spotted the chance to charge accordingly, with many saying accommodation is only available now at around £400-to £500 a night for a small single room.
The hotel where British ministers will stay, the Westin Resort Nusa Dua, describes the experience of staying there as “sheer indulgence.”
Hilary Benn, the environment secretary, Phil Woolas, junior environment minister, and Gareth Thomas, the junior minister for international development will each have £330 a night suites around the hotel’s “free form” pool, with their own teak-floored bedroom, living room and dining room.
Government spokesmen justify the expense because ministers will need to hold private meetings at all hours.
The EU will be sending a delegation of 90 officials with the environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas.
It unclear, however, what 20 MEPs and 18 assistants, who have no formal part in the process, will be doing.
They will be staying, on expenses, at the Conrad Bali Resort and Spa, one of the Hilton Hotel chain’s luxury hotels.
Their itinerary includes a day trip to the fishing village of Serangan with time for surfing.
The green MEP, Caroline Lucas, is understood to have declined an invitation to attend.
Thousands of registrations are from groups campaigning for the environment or against poverty. WWF has the largest, with 32 at the meeting.
A spokesman for Friends of the Earth, which is sending 5, mainly from Indonesia, said “We don’t offset. We don’t think it is a realistic solution. We have decided that the minimum number should go, but it’s a vitally important meeting.”
John Hay, spokesman for the UN conference organisers in Bali, said: “The Indonesian government will be announcing its offsetting deal on Wednesday.
"It will involve tree-planting but how exactly, where and when will be announced then.
"We at the UN climate secretariat are offsetting by buying emission reductions under the Clean Development Mechanism.
"Then it is up to the individual delegates and journalists. The responsibility lies with them.”
Indonesia plants trees to offset Bali emissions
Reuters 3 Dec 07;
BALI, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesia has planted millions of trees to soak up an estimated 50,000 tons of greenhouse gases to be emitted during U.N.-led climate talks in Bali, Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said on Monday.
More than 10,000 politicians, officials, activists and journalists are expected to attend the December 3-14 talks on the tropical resort island. Delegates will discuss ways to widen a U.N.-led fight against global warming to all nations.
Pines, acacia, and meranti trees, a type of tropical hardwood, have been planted on about 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres) on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java, Witoelar said.
Trees absorb carbon as they grow and those planted would eventually soak up about 900,000 tons of carbon dioxide, far more than the emissions from burning fossil fuels caused by delegates while staying in Bali and flying to and from the island, Witoelar said.
"The government of Indonesia is dedicating the carbon stock of the trees to offset the emissions produced by the U.N. meeting," Witoelar told a news conference.
"Apart from offsetting emissions, we'd like to make this a carbon positive event," he said. Delegates from 190 countries will seek in Bali to launch talks on a new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, the global pact to slow global warming.
Indonesia, the host, has also introduced a car-free zone on the Nusa Dua strip where meetings are held and is encouraging delegates to walk or cycle from one venue to another to help ease emissions during the talks.
(Reporting by Adhityani Arga, editing by Alex Richardson)
