Bali delegates close to deal

GLOBAL negotiators are "on the brink of an agreement" of forging a roadmap for a new international climate change deal, says the UN's chief climate official. Groups of ministers are talking late into the night at the UN conference in Bali to hammer out the details of an agenda to launch negotiations for a post-2012 agreement to tackle climate change.

Despite disputes remaining between different countries, there is optimism that the roadmap can be agreed for an emissions cuts bargain that will replace the current Kyoto Protocol.

“We’re prepared to work through the night if necessary, we believe a deal is within reach,” a spokeswoman for the UK delegation said.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon, who earlier this week told delegates the conference was a “historic” moment, will fly back to the conference from East Timor to lend his support to the hoped-for deal.

Many areas have already been agreed on, including measures to prevent deforestation, funding to help poor countries adapt to the effects of climate change and allowing them access to “green” technology to reduce their emissions.

The US and EU have still not resolved the issue of whether there should be reference to targets of 25-40 per cent emissions cuts by 2020 that scientists say developed countries must meet to avoid dangerous climate change. The EU wants to see formal negotiations launched with an end date of 2009 for signing a deal, and has been pushing for mention of a science-based target of 25-40 per cent emissions cuts for developed countries.

Yesterday Europe increased the pressure on the US by saying it would be meaningless to attend a US-led climate change summit for major economies next month to discuss emissions if an “ambitious” plan is not agreed today. (The Sun)