(China Daily / Agencies)
Updated: 2007-12-17 07:14

BALI, Indonesia: Two weeks of international climate talks marked by bitter disagreements and angry accusations culminated in a last-minute US compromise and an agreement to adopt a blueprint for fighting global warming by 2009.

Now comes the hard part.

Delegates from about 190 countries and regions must fix goals for industrialized nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions while helping developing states cut their own emissions and adapt to rising temperatures.

Negotiators also will consider ways to encourage countries to protect their rapidly dwindling forests, which absorb carbon dioxide.

"This is the beginning, not the end," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who made a plea Saturday on the Indonesian island of Bali for action, said. "We will have to engage in more complex, long and difficult negotiations."

The Bali Roadmap encompasses a clear agenda for the key issues to be negotiated up to 2009, including action for adapting to the negative consequences of climate change, ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ways to deploy climate-friendly technologies and financing both adaptation and mitigation measures.

Developed countries, including the US, agreed on "measurable, reportable and verifiable nationally appropriate mitigation commitments or actions, including quantified emission limitation and reduction objectives".

Developing countries accepted "measurable, reportable and verifiable nationally appropriate mitigation actions in the context of sustainable development".

To fulfill the mitigation obligations, developing countries require support in technology, financing and capability building in a "measurable, reportable and verifiable" way from industrialized countries.

The US initially rejected the demands, but backed down after delegates criticized its stand and urged a reconsideration.

"I think we have come a long way here," said Paula Dobriansky, head of the US delegation. "The United States is very committed to this effort and just wants to really ensure we all act together."

Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN's climate body, said: "We now have a roadmap, we have an agenda and we have a deadline. But we also have a huge task ahead of us and time to reach agreement is extremely short, so we need to move quickly."