Optimistic start to climate meet Kyoto Protocol.
December 5, 2007 - 5:37 am
The global effort to save the planet is gaining momentum as support grows for reaching a new consensus on climate change mitigation, the negotiations for which officially began here Monday.

Indonesia’s state minister for the environment, Rachmat Witoelar, took over the leadership of the UN forum debating future strategies from Kenyan Environment and Natural Resources Minister David Mwiraria, giving the host Country an opportunity to play a role in the crucial talks.

Rachmat was upbeat that a consensus would be reached during the Bali conference, citing widespread support from many governments for launching a process to create a new agenda for negotiations on climate change.

“Many have also supported a target date of 2009 for concluding an outcome. It is imperative that we start this rocess in Bali. While the launch of negotiations and a clear deadline of 2009 to end the negotiations will constitute a breakthrough, anything short of that will constitute a failure,” he told more than 10,000 people attending the opening of the 13th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate  hange (UNFCCC), as well as the third session of the signatories
to the Kyoto Protocol.

The optimistic mood was further buoyed by the announcement from the Australian delegation that it would soon ratify the Kyoto Protocol.Australia’s change of heart followed the Labor Party’s win in recent elections,and newly nstalled Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to join the 12-day talks next week.

“You probably heard the applause from participants when the Australians announced that they’re ratifying the Kyoto  rotocol,”Yvo de Boer, UNFCCC executive secretary, said.

Consensus for the so-called “Bali Roadmap” received a boost when the United States announced its commitment on the opening day to advance and guide negotiations to a new

post-Kyoto climate regime. “We are also committed to the successful completion of these negotiations by the end of 2009,” said Harlem L.Watson, the U.S. delegation’s senior climate negotiator and alternate head.

The sessions here are expected to create a procedure for negotiations to establish a replacement for the Kyoto greement, the first phase of which will expire in 2012.

“The scientific debate has been conclusively laid to rest by the latest scientific findings from the IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Climate change is unequivocal and accelerating. It has also become  ncreasingly evident that the most severe impact of climate change will be felt by poor nations, and there, the poorest within. It is critical that we act, and act now,”Rachmat said.

He indicated, however, the Bali Roadmap would be general, and could leave emission reduction targets for conferences in Poland in 2008 and Copenhagen in 2009.

The first week of the conference will involve negotiations among the Kyoto Protocol signatories at the level of  ighranking government officials. On Dec. 12, 130 environment ministers are expected to be in attendance when both UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonoaddress the conference.

Yudhoyono paid a brief visit to Bali on Monday tooversee proceedings.