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| Bali deal 'omits specific cuts' | Bali deal 'omits specific cuts' |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| Negotiators at the climate change conference in Bali have secured provisional agreement on a document on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. | Negotiators at the climate change conference in Bali have secured provisional agreement on a document on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. |
| The document launches talks that will end in 2009, but - as demanded by the United States - it lacks specific mention of targets for emission cuts. | The document launches talks that will end in 2009, but - as demanded by the United States - it lacks specific mention of targets for emission cuts. |
| The EU wants to commit rich nations to specified emissions cuts, but the US, Canada and Japan are opposed. | The EU wants to commit rich nations to specified emissions cuts, but the US, Canada and Japan are opposed. |
| Some developing countries say they are being pressurised to curb emissions. | Some developing countries say they are being pressurised to curb emissions. |
| A compromise... was elaborated with the engagement of all the parties Humberto RosaEU official Q&A: Bali summit | |
| Final discussions continued into Saturday - a day after the conference was due to end - with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon due to fly to Bali later in the day. | |
| A draft decision had been reached, but still needed to be approved by a full meeting of all the negotiating teams, says the BBC's Matt McGrath in Bali. | |
| Portuguese environment official Humberto Rosa, representing the European Union, spoke of a "good cooperative atmosphere". | |
| "A compromise... was elaborated with the engagement of all the parties", Mr Rosa told the Associated Press news agency. | |
| Ambiguous | Ambiguous |
| The key aim of the summit is to set negotiations in train that will eventually lead to a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Its first targets for reducing emissions expire in 2012. | The key aim of the summit is to set negotiations in train that will eventually lead to a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Its first targets for reducing emissions expire in 2012. |
| Planet Bali's parallel worlds | Planet Bali's parallel worlds |
| EU negotiators wanted this "Bali roadmap" to contain a commitment that industrialised nations will cut their emissions by 25-40% compared to 1990 levels by 2020. | EU negotiators wanted this "Bali roadmap" to contain a commitment that industrialised nations will cut their emissions by 25-40% compared to 1990 levels by 2020. |
| But this has been replaced by a footnote that simply references the figures, our correspondent says. | |
| Nor is there any mention of the need for emissions to peak in the next 10 to15 years or for them to be halved by 2050. | Nor is there any mention of the need for emissions to peak in the next 10 to15 years or for them to be halved by 2050. |
| On the issue causing most concern to the United States - the issue of mandatory emissions cuts - the text is highly ambiguous. | On the issue causing most concern to the United States - the issue of mandatory emissions cuts - the text is highly ambiguous. |
| It requires developed nations to support nationally appropriate commitments or actions - a favoured US expression. | It requires developed nations to support nationally appropriate commitments or actions - a favoured US expression. |
| But it says this may include quantified emissions limitations objectives - in other words mandatory cuts, says our correspondent. | But it says this may include quantified emissions limitations objectives - in other words mandatory cuts, says our correspondent. |
| The nature of this text could allow a new US administration to sign up for legally binding limits at the end of this process in 2009. | The nature of this text could allow a new US administration to sign up for legally binding limits at the end of this process in 2009. |
| Environmental groups and some delegates have criticised the draft as being weak and a missed opportunity. | Environmental groups and some delegates have criticised the draft as being weak and a missed opportunity. |
| Some developing country delegates complained they had been put under "strong pressure" to curb their emissions, according to Munir Akram, UN ambassador for Pakistan who chairs the G-77 bloc of nations. | Some developing country delegates complained they had been put under "strong pressure" to curb their emissions, according to Munir Akram, UN ambassador for Pakistan who chairs the G-77 bloc of nations. |
| Mr Munir hinted that "threats" had come in the form of trade sanctions. | Mr Munir hinted that "threats" had come in the form of trade sanctions. |
| But the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Kurt Volker, defended the US reluctance to agree to specific emissions reductions targets. | But the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Kurt Volker, defended the US reluctance to agree to specific emissions reductions targets. |
| "It's one thing to put out a number, it's another to have the policies in place" to enable all countries to plan beyond the 2012 Kyoto targets, he told the BBC's Newsnight programme. | "It's one thing to put out a number, it's another to have the policies in place" to enable all countries to plan beyond the 2012 Kyoto targets, he told the BBC's Newsnight programme. |
| 'Good climate' | 'Good climate' |
| Away from the issue of emissions cuts, provisional agreement was reached on several ingredients of the Bali roadmap, including paying poorer countries to protect their forests. | Away from the issue of emissions cuts, provisional agreement was reached on several ingredients of the Bali roadmap, including paying poorer countries to protect their forests. |
| This is widely acknowledged as the cheapest single way of curbing climate change, and brings benefits in other environmental areas such as biodiversity and fresh water conservation. | This is widely acknowledged as the cheapest single way of curbing climate change, and brings benefits in other environmental areas such as biodiversity and fresh water conservation. |
| The Bush administration is well out of step with the American population, and increasingly out of step with US business Chris Miller, Greenpeace Send us your comments | The Bush administration is well out of step with the American population, and increasingly out of step with US business Chris Miller, Greenpeace Send us your comments |
| Delegates agreed on a framework that could allow richer nations and companies to earn "carbon credits" by paying for forest protection in developing countries. | Delegates agreed on a framework that could allow richer nations and companies to earn "carbon credits" by paying for forest protection in developing countries. |
| "We need to find a new mechanism that values standing forests," said Andrew Mitchell, executive director of the Global Canopy Programme, an alliance of research institutions. | "We need to find a new mechanism that values standing forests," said Andrew Mitchell, executive director of the Global Canopy Programme, an alliance of research institutions. |
| "Ultimately, if this does its job, [deforestation] goes down to nothing." | "Ultimately, if this does its job, [deforestation] goes down to nothing." |
| Mr Mitchell said the only feasible source of sufficient funds was a global carbon market. | Mr Mitchell said the only feasible source of sufficient funds was a global carbon market. |
| But many economists believe mandatory emissions targets are needed to create a meaningful global market. | But many economists believe mandatory emissions targets are needed to create a meaningful global market. |
| 'Out of step' | 'Out of step' |
| Environmental groups sought to maintain pressure on the US as the talks overran their scheduled end. | Environmental groups sought to maintain pressure on the US as the talks overran their scheduled end. |
| 'No more coal' plea to Brown | 'No more coal' plea to Brown |
| "The Bush administration is well out of step with the American population, and increasingly out of step with US business," Chris Miller of Greenpeace told BBC News. | "The Bush administration is well out of step with the American population, and increasingly out of step with US business," Chris Miller of Greenpeace told BBC News. |
| "It's our hope that Europe, developing countries, China and the G-77 stay strong and keep up the pressure on the Bush administration." | "It's our hope that Europe, developing countries, China and the G-77 stay strong and keep up the pressure on the Bush administration." |
| The US is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, and most parties recognise that climate change talks without it would be meaningless. | The US is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, and most parties recognise that climate change talks without it would be meaningless. |