March for a climate accord falters

Go with the floe … this Antarctic scene is home to penguins,
but the secrets of the ice - vital for the study of climate change
- will now be more accessible for scientific exploration.

Go with the floe … this Antarctic scene is home to penguins, but the secrets of the ice - vital for the study of climate change - will now be more accessible for scientific exploration.
Photo: Christopher R Clarke/Australian Antarctic Division

Marian Wilkinson and Mark Forbes in Bali
December 15, 2007

THE UN climate summit stumbled last night towards a compromise for launching a new global agreement, but it fell well short of the expectations that many countries took to Bali.

To the last minute, the United States fought hard to stop the declaration referring to the UN's scientific advice: for developed countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 to 40 per cent by 2020 if the world wants to stop global temperatures rising above 2 degrees and avoid the most severe impacts of climate change.

Australia's Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong, was playing a key role in the final effort to drive a deal between the US and Japan on one side and the European Union, China and developing countries on the other. The battling delegations reached a consensus to launch formal negotiations in a bid to have a deal signed by 2009. And in key breakthroughs, nations agreed:

■ Cutting emissions by stopping deforestation should be included in the new deal;

■ To develop measures to transfer clean energy technology to developing countries;

■ To formulate policies to help poorer countries adapt to climate change that is already happening.

Delegates at the summit were warned that without deep cuts to emissions, the world faced a possible loss of 30 per cent of its animal and plant species, and as many as 50 million climate refugees in the next decades.

Sixteen of the world's 19 largest cities, including Jakarta and Shanghai, would be under threat from sea-level rises caused by warming of the oceans, the UN's climate chief, Yvo de Boer, told delegates.

The European Union continued to demand that the final Bali declaration refer to the scientific advice, saying it would serve as a lighthouse to guide nations forward to the 2009 agreement. The EU Environment Minister, Stavros Dimas, said: "We continue to insist that including a reference to an indicative emissions reduction range for developed countries for 2020, that are be based on the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] scientific advice. The Bali road map must deliver a clear destination to guide negotiations over the next two years."

Australia was criticised by both European diplomats and environment groups for its failure to stand with Europe and the developing nations to keep the scientific advice in the Bali test.

Senator Wong insisted last night that she was hopeful of finding "common ground" on the Bali declaration. But the Rudd Government's stand not to endorse the scientific advice in the text was undermined in Bali when the Opposition environment spokesman, Greg Hunt, gave his endorsement to it, arguing it was not binding and did not predetermine the Australian targets which would not have to be resolved until 2009.

The Opposition appeared to shift its strong opposition to the text from last week after Mr Hunt discussed the policy with groups in Bali and the Opposition leadership in Australia. "We are offering bipartisan support for a Bali road map," Mr Hunt said.

"It is a conscious decision to give the Australian Government freedom to respond without looking over its shoulder domestically."

In a break from the final negotiations, Senator Wong said: "The Liberal Party is badly confused on where it stands and what it wants to do about climate change. That's why they are simply making it up as they go along."

European diplomats, frustrated with Australia and the US, threatened to boycott President George Bush's climate meeting in January if there was no progress in Bali. They also called on Australia to declare where it stood. Mr Dimas called Mr Rudd's speech to the UN meeting "a lost opportunity" to back the scientific guidance in the text.

The UN's Mr de Boer admitted there would be no final Bali declaration without the US. "It is impossible to make a decision here without the US," he said, explaining that the UN climate conference was a consensus body.

Greenpeace International's spokesman, Bill Hare, called for senior officials in Australia's delegation to be removed. Describing their ideas on the negotiations as "a virus" infecting the new Government, Mr Hare said: "This will stop the Government taking a leadership position. They need to bring in new people … otherwise I am deeply convinced they will end up in a similar position to the Howard government."

A deal late last night was set to agree that negotiations for a global agreement should address:

■ A long-term global goal for emissions reduction;

■ Quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments by all developed countries;

■ Measurable actions by developing countries to cut emissions;

■ Incentives for developing countries to cut deforestation;

■ Money for a fund for developing countries to deal with climate change, especially sea-level rises, flooding in big Asian cities and drought in Africa.

