Arti Mulchand, Straits Times 9 Dec 07;
Developing countries praised for trying; developed nations under fire for 'obstructing'
BALI - THE ongoing climate talks in Bali have turned into a game of villains and victims.
On the one side are developing countries, many of whom came to the table with some idea of what they are willing to do to save the planet.
One of them, China, was patted on the back for a 'clear national climate change strategy', which will kick in 'whether there is an international agreement or not', said United Nations climate chief Yvo de Boer.
On the other side are the developed nations, who stress the need for developing countries to have binding carbon dioxide emission targets while continuing to pump it into the atmosphere at record rates themselves. They include Australia, Canada and Japan.
Worst of all is the world's biggest offender, the United States. Yesterday, it said it will reject demands to commit to internationally binding cuts in global warming gases but will come up with its own plan by mid-2008.
'We're not ready to do that here,' said Harlan Watson, the chief US climate negotiator. 'We're working on that, what our domestic contribution would be, and again we expect that sometime before the end of the Major Economies process.'
That process of US-led talks was inaugurated in September by President George W. Bush. He invited 16 other 'major emitter' nations, including the European Union, Japan, China and India, to Washington to discuss a future programme of cutbacks in carbon dioxide and other emissions blamed for global warming. Environmentalists accuse the Bush administration of using those parallel talks to subvert the long-running UN negotiations and the spirit of the binding Kyoto Protocol, which requires 36 industrial nations to make relatively modest cuts in 'greenhouse' gases.
Mr de Boer yesterday had sharp words for the US and other developed nations.
'I think it's reasonable for industrialised countries that caused the problem in the first place to take targets to reduce their emissions,' he told reporters.
Carbon dioxide is the key greenhouse gas blamed for global warming.
Australia's position has drawn particular wrath too, especially since it has been so inconsistent. The applause drawn by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at the start of the meetings when he ratified the Kyoto Protocol has turned into a stony silence, most recently after comments by Trade Minister Simon Creane.
'Australia's task is at the appropriate time to commit to targets but it's also to try and secure binding commitments from developing countries,' he said at a trade ministers' meeting during the summit.
He said binding targets were off the table for Australia, until a report commissioned by Mr Rudd's climate change economic specialist is out by next year.
A bit of advice to the nation came yesterday from the Climate Action Network (CAN). Memo to Australia: Google 'Climate Change' - the scathing headline of its newsletter screamed.
Canada and Japan have repeatedly made calls for large developing countries who are polluters to cut emissions, but have also remained under fire as 'roadblocks' in the attempt to create a Bali Roadmap. Accusations from environmental campaigners that they are trying to derail the climate talks altogether have come hard and fast.
In fact, they have consistently been winners of the 'Fossil of the Day' awards handed out by CAN daily to the most unconstructive players at the table. Yesterday too, Canada swept the dubious honours, winning all three 'Fossil' awards.
As the two sides attempt to reach agreement on a variety of issues, Mr de Boer's advice to ministers as they come to the negotiating table this week is: 'Remember the very clear message from the scientists and remember that your voters expect you to answer to that... The world is waiting, what is your answer?'
