FACTBOX-Bali U.N. climate talks and goals
Dec 10 (Reuters) - A 190-nation U.N. climate meeting in Bali from Dec 3-14 is seeking to launch two years of formal negotiations meant to end with agreement on a broad new U.N. pact to fight global warming.
About 10,000 delegates on the Indonesian island are considering a draft document, issued by Indonesia, Australia and South Africa, that lays out a "roadmap" of guiding principles for the talks on a U.N. treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.
THE PROBLEM
Kyoto, the current U.N. pact for slowing warming, binds 36 industrialised nations to cut greenhouse gases by an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12 to curb ever more floods, droughts, a spread of disease and rising seas.
But Kyoto countries make up only about a third of world greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, which are surging when scientists say they need to be axed.
The United States is outside Kyoto and developing nations such as China, India, Brazil have no 2008-2012 targets.
Many countries want a 2009 deadline to work out a broad new treaty -- that would give parliaments three years to ratify and help plan before Kyoto's first period runs out on Dec. 31, 2012.
PRINCIPLES FOR TALKS
The draft says:
-- There is "unequivocal scientific evidence" that rich nations will have to cut emissions by 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid the worst impacts.
-- Global emissions will "need to peak in the next 10 to 15 years and be reduced to very low levels, well below half of levels in 2000 by 2050."
-- "The challenge of climate change calls for effective participation by all countries", led by rich nations. Ending poverty will remain the top priority for developing nations.
ACTIONS NEEDED
The draft says that countries will step up actions to curb climate change, such as:
-- For developed nations, "quantified national emission objectives". For poor nations, an easier goal of actions to "limit the growth of, or reduce, emissions".
-- New policies and incentives to help reduce emissions from deforestation by developing countries, more sharing of green technologies, new financing and investment, more efforts to help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.
LAUNCH OF NEW TALKS
The draft lays out three options:
1) Two years of informal talks that do not necessarily lead to a new treaty.
2) Global talks to lead to a new treaty at a conference to be held in Copenhagen in late 2009. In addition, there would be separate talks on new commitments by current Kyoto participants.
3) Twin-track talks among all nations, immediately merging with the Kyoto track, leading to a new treaty in Copenhagen in 2009.
TIMETABLE
The first talks will be held at a meeting of senior officials, now set for June 2008. That meeting would work out a detailed timetable.
-- For Reuters latest environment blogs click on:
blogs.reuters.com/environment/ (Editing by David Fogarty)
About 10,000 delegates on the Indonesian island are considering a draft document, issued by Indonesia, Australia and South Africa, that lays out a "roadmap" of guiding principles for the talks on a U.N. treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.
THE PROBLEM
Kyoto, the current U.N. pact for slowing warming, binds 36 industrialised nations to cut greenhouse gases by an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12 to curb ever more floods, droughts, a spread of disease and rising seas.
But Kyoto countries make up only about a third of world greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, which are surging when scientists say they need to be axed.
The United States is outside Kyoto and developing nations such as China, India, Brazil have no 2008-2012 targets.
Many countries want a 2009 deadline to work out a broad new treaty -- that would give parliaments three years to ratify and help plan before Kyoto's first period runs out on Dec. 31, 2012.
PRINCIPLES FOR TALKS
The draft says:
-- There is "unequivocal scientific evidence" that rich nations will have to cut emissions by 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid the worst impacts.
-- Global emissions will "need to peak in the next 10 to 15 years and be reduced to very low levels, well below half of levels in 2000 by 2050."
-- "The challenge of climate change calls for effective participation by all countries", led by rich nations. Ending poverty will remain the top priority for developing nations.
ACTIONS NEEDED
The draft says that countries will step up actions to curb climate change, such as:
-- For developed nations, "quantified national emission objectives". For poor nations, an easier goal of actions to "limit the growth of, or reduce, emissions".
-- New policies and incentives to help reduce emissions from deforestation by developing countries, more sharing of green technologies, new financing and investment, more efforts to help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.
LAUNCH OF NEW TALKS
The draft lays out three options:
1) Two years of informal talks that do not necessarily lead to a new treaty.
2) Global talks to lead to a new treaty at a conference to be held in Copenhagen in late 2009. In addition, there would be separate talks on new commitments by current Kyoto participants.
3) Twin-track talks among all nations, immediately merging with the Kyoto track, leading to a new treaty in Copenhagen in 2009.
TIMETABLE
The first talks will be held at a meeting of senior officials, now set for June 2008. That meeting would work out a detailed timetable.
-- For Reuters latest environment blogs click on:
blogs.reuters.com/environment/ (Editing by David Fogarty)
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