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Bali deal 'omits specific cuts' New doubts on Bali climate deal
(about 4 hours later)
Negotiators at the climate change conference in Bali have secured provisional agreement on a document on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The US and EU have reached provisional agreement on curbing greenhouse gas emissions at UN climate talks in Bali.
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. They have agreed on a document launching negotiations on future emissions cuts, but - as demanded by the US - it lacks firm targets.
The EU wanted to commit rich nations to specified emissions cuts, but the US, Canada and Japan were opposed. But major developing nations including China and India have raised objections to some key sections of text.
Some developing countries say they are being pressurised to curb emissions. They want richer countries to make more concrete pledges on transferring clean technology to the developing world.
A compromise... was elaborated with the engagement of all the parties Humberto RosaEU official class="" href="/1/hi/sci/tech/7140348.stm">Q&A: Bali summit "They don't want to give us technology support," said India's Science Minister Kapil Sibal.
Final discussions continued into Saturday - a day after the conference was due to end. "(The text) says 'support for technology' - what does 'support' mean? Support from where?"
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. Your work is not yet over...everybody should be able to make compromises Ban Ki-MoonUN Secretary General class="" href="/1/hi/sci/tech/7140348.stm">Q and A: Bali summit
Portuguese environment official Humberto Rosa, representing the European Union, spoke of a "good cooperative atmosphere". 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.
"A compromise... was elaborated with the engagement of all the parties," Mr Rosa told the Associated Press news agency. Mr Munir hinted that "threats" had come in the form of trade sanctions.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon - who flew back to Bali on an unscheduled detour - said that the fact a 2009 deadline had been agreed was "encouraging". And Chinese delegates were angry that a plenary session had been called while they were still involved in closed-door talks.
Ambiguous An un-named Chinese delegate called a version of the draft text drawn up by the summit hosts Indonesia as a "conspiracy".
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. Objections by these major developing nations raised new doubts over whether the summit will achieve consensus, with talks continuing more than a day after their scheduled close.
'Ambiguous' elements
The earlier major disagreement, which had seen the EU deadlocked with a bloc containing the US, Canada and Japan, was resolved with a text that did not mention the specific emissions targets demanded by Europe but which did acknowledge that industrialised nations would have to make major cuts.
EU negotiators had wanted a commitment that industrialised nations would cut their emissions by 25-40% compared to 1990 levels by 2020.
Planet Bali's parallel worldsPlanet 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. Instead, the draft recognises that "deep cuts in global emissions will be required to achieve the ultimate objective", and sets a finish date for negotiations of 2009.
But this has been replaced by a footnote that simply references the figures, our correspondent says. The date is designed to allow governments and businesses to adjust to any new targets before they enter into force in 2012, when existing targets in the Kyoto Protocol expire.
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. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon - who flew back to Bali on an unscheduled detour - said that the fact a 2009 deadline had been agreed was "encouraging".
On the issue causing most concern to the United States - the issue of mandatory emissions cuts - the text is highly ambiguous. But he added: "Your work is not yet over...everybody should be able to make compromises."
It requires developed nations to support nationally appropriate commitments or actions - a favoured US expression. On the issue causing most concern to the US - the issue of mandatory emissions cuts - the text is highly ambiguous, comments BBC environment correspondent Matt McGrath who is at the Bali summit.
But it says this may include quantified emissions limitations objectives - in other words mandatory cuts, says our correspondent. 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.
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.
Our correspondent says there is no mention of any need for emissions globally to peak and begin to fall within 10-15 years or for them to be halved by 2050.
Both were key messages emerging from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) landmark assessment of climate science, impacts and economics, published over the course of 2007.
Target missed
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. If this does its job, deforestation goes down to nothing Andrew Mitchell, Global Canopy Programme class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3924&edition=1">Send us your comments
Mr Munir hinted that "threats" had come in the form of trade sanctions. France's Deputy Ecology Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet acknowledged the deal amounted to far less than the EU had wanted.
But the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Kurt Volker, defended the US reluctance to agree to specific emissions reductions targets. But, she told the AFP news agency: "The public can understand that we brought the United States into the negotiations.
"It's a framework that is quite weak but which still moves forward."
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Kurt Volker, defended the 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' Tree line
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. Provisional agreement was reached on several other issues, including paying poorer countries to protect their forests.
Delegates have continued into an extra day of discussions
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
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'
Environmental groups sought to maintain pressure on the US as the talks overran their scheduled end.
'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.
"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.