BALI: THAT’S A WRAP

Few debate that the most important decision taken at Bali was to hold the next major session 30 November through 11 December 2009 – nearly a year after the successor to President Bush takes office.

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Ca): “In Bali, the president tried to treat the world the way he treats Congress -- 'my way or the highway'…The difference is that in Congress he has supporters but in Bali he had no supporters."

Nevertheless, the more forward-thinking representatives at Bali had to settle for a “range” of emissions reductions by 2020 (25% to 40%) for the developing nations and allow developing nations to “consider measurable actions.”

The Bush administration’s delegation talked summit leaders into calling a meeting of the 16 countries responsible for 80% of world greenhouse gas emissions, including the US and the EU as well as developing nations like China, India and Brazil, in Hawaii in February 2008. Who knows what will happen there?

In return, the US delegation caved on its resistance to a technology transfer mechanism (TT CLEAR). This is big business and subject to the kind of shenanigans not seen since the UN-administered “oil-for-food” program. But if the developing nations do not gain access to the newest tools, they cannot mitigate emissions and help the developed world head off the worst consequences of climate change. So there really is not much point in fighting over WHETHER to transfer the technology. The important question is HOW to do it.

Or as Kevin Conrad of Papua New Guinea boldly told the US delegation to bring them around at the 11th second of the 11th minute of the 11th hour: "If for some reason you are not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us…Please, get out of the way."


Here delegates rise to applaud the announcement of the "Bali Action Plan." (click to enlarge)

Bali climate deal paves way for hotter US debate
Deborah Zabarenko, December 16, 2007 (Reuters)
and
What Bush really won in Bali
December 17, 2007 (Christian Science Monitor)
and
U.S. reversal under pressure leads to climate deal
Elisabeth Rosenthal, December 16, 2007 (International Herald Tribune)
and
UN chief warns of tough talks ahead in international climate fight
December 15, 2007 (AP via International Herald Tribune)

WHO
The 10,000+ delegates of the 190+ nations attending the fourteenth session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process.

WHAT
The Bali Action Plan was adopted by the delegates of 190+ nations at the climate change summit. It calls for cooperation on extending emissions reductions, combating deforestation, developing market strategies, transferring technologies to developing countries and creating economic incentives to drive the process of mitigating climate change-inducing factors.

WHEN
- The summit met from December 3 – 14, 2007. In the last moments of December 14-15, a dramatic confrontation left the delegates in utter suspense as to whether there would be an agreement. In the end, the Bali Action Plan was passed.
- Perhaps the most important decision made at this fourteenth session of the UNFCCC proceedings was designating the time of the fifteenth session. The Date and venue of the fourteenth and fifteenth sessions… calls for the session to meet 30 November to 11 December 2009.



WHERE
- This fourteenth session was hosted by the government of Indonesia in Bali.
- The fifteenth session will be hosted by the government of Denmark in Copenhagen.

WHY
- Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries: approaches to stimulate action was agreed to. This will start and test demonstration projects in the funding of governments that prevent deforestation.
- Development and transfer of technologies… was agreed to. This provides for the sharing of technological advances in New Energies and other emissions mitigation concepts. It stresses the development of an international technology transference clearing house (TT:CLEAR) and re-emphasizes the need for economic foundations and market processes.
- Reporting on global observing systems for climate revised some procedures for observations and measurements, incorporating the ever more accurate assessment tools telling anybody who takes the time to look that the situation is growing more dire daily.



QUOTES
- Michael Oppenheimer, Princeton University and UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: "I had few expectations for Bali, but at least it created a little sense of forward motion, I suppose…At this point I'll take anything I can get."
- Philip Clapp, deputy managing director, Pew Environment Group: "This is the best agreement that could have been negotiated with the Bush administration at the table…But it is extremely important in that it lays out the scope and a timetable for the negotiations. And now everyone has committed to that."
- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "This is the beginning, not the end…We will have to engage in more complex, long and difficult negotiations."