2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference
The climate conference in Bali was the 13th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC and the third Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. It took from 3 to 15 December 2007 in the village of Nusa Dua on the Indonesian island of Bali instead and thus took a day longer than originally planned. The conference should set a negotiated schedule and content for the next few years, so that after the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, a new climate change program can seamlessly apply.
Indonesia hosted the UN Climate Change Conference. The Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar led the negotiations of the Conference with about 10,000 environmental policy makers and experts from 192 countries.
Objectives of the conference
The European States called 2050 a halving of global CO2 emissions to curb global warming. The United States wanted to participate in a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, the chief U.S. negotiator Harlan Watson. Emerging markets saw the goals critical, they feared a loss of economic growth in their own country. They wanted to see the developed countries taking a leading role in limiting the emission of greenhouse gases.
The conference was preceded by a special conference of the UN in September 2007, underlined in the seventy leaders to try to find a solution at Bali. The 2006 held in Nairobi, Kenya World Climate Conference was run still no result.
The general aim of the negotiations represented a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, which should come into force on 1 January 2013. To participate in it next to the industrialized countries now today's emerging markets, which will grow in the foreseeable future major emitters. The successor protocol to be adopted by the end of 2009 in order to allow enough time for ratification in each member country.
Positions of selected participating countries before the summit
Europe
The European Union wishes for 2020 to 30 percent less emissions dioxide than in 1990. Reduction in the countries to different degrees, partially, eruptions of some EU countries have since 1990 increased by even large parts, such as Spain and Greece.
USA
The U.S. has the previous agreement on climate change, the Kyoto Protocol has not yet ratified the only industrialized country. At the same time the nation's largest emitter of CO2 worldwide. In Bali sat for the United States, the negotiator Harlan Watson at the negotiating table, it promoted understanding, the decision of the Americans - to respect - not to join the Kyoto Protocol. At the same time the U.S. wanted in the negotiations not be a hurdle and commit themselves to a successful conclusion of the negotiations and participate in it.
The United States pursued at the conference the course to avoid concrete reduction figures for the emissions; should instead " effective climate protection " is not alone environmentally friendly, but also be " economically sustainable".
China, India and emerging markets
The rapidly growing economies of China and India wanted no limitation of pollutant emissions for emerging markets. They argued with the historical development of the industry: Previously it was possible for all major industrial nations, unhindered by regulations expel CO2. Therefore, emerging economies should have the right to only economical to grow - along with increased carbon dioxide emissions - before they would a Klimaregularium, which limits the emissions subject.
The emerging economies of the opinion that they could reduce the poverty in their countries with economic growth.
The " Bali Communiqué "
On the edge of the climate conference 150 international companies (including operating companies in Germany ) had written an opinion on the summit on 30 November 2007. It demanded the company under the patronage of Prince Charles statutory regulation of the specifications to the company by the UN. In addition, before costs for poor countries was warned and accounted for at the same time that an investment will pay off in the climate change in the long run. Developed the Communiqué of scientists from the University of Cambridge.
The communiqué was released on a double page of the Financial Times.
Achievements decisions
As a first result of a reversal of the environmental policy of Australia was recorded. The land was adjacent to the U.S. is the only industrialized country that had the Kyoto Protocol not yet been signed. The first act of the newly elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was the ratification of the Protocol - his negotiators announced this at the conference.
China announced to bring in 2010 the flows of energy and emissions up to 20 percent below 2005 levels. For developing countries in general relief was created, they do not participate to the extent of the reduction in emissions, as required by or at the beginning of the summit of the industrialized countries. Same time, more assistance for emerging countries to be provided by the developed countries. This is due to an adaptation fund with a volume 300-500 million dollars per year are handled in 2012, which is to be filled out duties of emissions trading and managed by the Global Environment Facility through the World Bank. Critics this sum is too small. At the same time, the emerging countries will receive help from experts from the industrialized countries through a technology transfer for the implementation of climate protection in the field of energy and technology. Initiated the project will, however, until 2012, as the exact implementation has not yet been negotiated.
The protection of tropical forests should be considered in the following climate agreement. This is expected to avoiding 20 percent annually greenhouse gases. Emerging obtained from a pot funds for the conservation of certain areas of rainforest. Germany pays about $ 60 million one-time, other countries more than 100 million. Membership in this " Forest Carbon Partnership Facility " is voluntary for donor and recipient countries.
After tough negotiations, the Climate Change Conference ended with the so-called Bali Roadmap (Bali roadmap ). It is the desired by the participants negotiating mandate on the basis of the successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol should be created. Contrary to the hopes of some states to hold concrete figures for the reduction of greenhouse gases, it was due to the pressure of the United States only to a reference to the findings of the IPCC - this calls the decline in emissions of CO2 by 50 percent by 2020, on the other hand it contains less restrictive models that could cause global warming more than the previously taken into account two degrees Celsius would rise.