Bali Talks on Climate Change Concluded

Representatives from developed and developing countries recently converged in Bali, Indonesia to discuss and develop a roadmap to a climate treaty that will take the world beyond 2012. The new roadmap sets out a clear and comprehensive agenda for negotiation and a timetable ending in 2009, as well as linking back to the work of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). Each country will adopt a shared vision for long-term cooperative action, including a long-term global goal.  UK Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, head of the UK delegation said: “This is an historic breakthrough and a huge step forward. For the first time ever all the world’s nations have agreed to negotiate on a deal to tackle dangerous climate change concluding in 2009".

Among the agreed issues that need immediate global action include deforestation, adaptation, technology, finance, and the carbon markets. Action on these will form a part of the roadmap that will be developed in the next two years - an agreement to form a comprehensive global climate deal that will take the world beyond 2012.

The full text of decisions and further information on the talks can be found at unfccc.int. The Future Global Climate Framework is published online at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/internat/bali-aims-071119.htm. The press release can be downloaded at  http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2007/071215a.htm