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Climate Change Conference In Bali
December 15 2007

 Climate Change Conference in Bali
15 December 2007

In the early hours of today the United States rejected a compromise agreement for climate change, involving developing countries, which resulted in the delegates being booed. This was extraordinary behaviour that was then followed by the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, saying that they “We would be betraying our children if no agreement is made”. All of this was too much for the Executive Secretary, who walked out of the talks in tears, unhappy with the way the Indonesians were running the conference.

There were frantic diplomacy talks, and at 8.11 am U.K time, we heard that the United States had deleted from the text, targets for cuts in greenhouse gases, and were now willing to “Go forward and join consensus in this [document]”

The United States and China are now tied in to this process and there is much relief that this stage has been reached. However, this may only be a relief in terms of politics. Lucy Williamson from the BBC said that the conference had wanted to make an agreement and that the United States was out on a limb. The U.S. did not want any target figures in the agreement while the European countries certainly did want target figures in the agreement, and the developing countries felt marginalised and wanted to know what help they would receive to tackle climate change.

Hilary Benn MP, the Environment Minister, told us that the U.S. had talked about long term goals to reduce greenhouse gases, although stated that a target of 50% is needed if we are to avoid dangerous climate change and that this figure was still being negotiated. However, The Bali Road Map has now been agreed, replacing the Kyoto protocol, paving the way forward for further talks over the next two years, and so politically this is a good thing.

In terms of science however, we are advised that strong actions need to be taken in the short term to avoid major climate change disasters, particularly in cutting emissions, and so from this perspective, there has not been a good outcome at Bali. The only agreement reached is for an agenda and a deadline for talks.

Stephanie Long from Friend of the Earth, said that “The U.S. Canada and Russia are providing the main obstacles, refusing to set down an emissions reduction range of 25 - 40%, and this destructive behaviour may result in a weak deal. The U.S agreed to uphold the principle of the convention that developing countries will only act when provided with resources and finance to do so. In real terms, the U.S. have not compromised, they have just been forced to accept the principles of the convention on which we have been working for ten years”. She added “For the next two years political leaders are still thrashing through several important decisions and we have to keep our eye on this game”.

Hilary Benn added “We have also made an agreement on deforestation, that environment campaigners have been trying to reach for twenty years, and we now have a strong basis for the world to move forwards”.

The final outcome, after one extra day and these last two hours, is that the United States are agreeing to the principle of the convention but will not agree to target figures for cuts in emissions.

Basically the reason for this seems to be that the U.S. are concerned principally with the short term effects on their economy rather than long term effects of climate change. The U.S. senate rejected the Kyoto protocol 95 votes to 0 as they would not agree to something that China or India did not agree to. Their main argument is that target figures do not work and that technology and markets will solve climate change problems.

It is true that we need technology, and markets will play a part, but if we do not have capped emissions there will not b the market drive for the technology and markets to develop and thrive.

I believe that there is a rather easy solution, and that is to incorporate both the U.S. and European ideas. I know this is simplistic, but hopefully a much more focus driven negotiation will happen over the next two years.

For my part, I do not believe in sitting back, doing nothing, and waiting for other people to decide my destiny. Waiting for other people to decide how good or bad my children’s life will be. I think that it is up to all of us to contribute to these decisions. Remember, lots of people doing one small thing makes one big thing in total.

In the U.S. now there are groups of people that want to do their bit. Twenty five states have now signed up to their own Road Map, with over 600 cities involved. Remember that the people in power are speaking for us, and so let them hear you. Write to your MP, join a local environment or climate change or ethical group and have a voice.

SUSU Organic is starting an ethical business group in the Nottingham area in 2008 – if you are interested, please get in touch