A place for all things related to the UN climate change conference in Bali, Dec. 3-14.

December 15, 2007

After long delays and all-night negotiations, political leaders at the UN climate conference in Bali finally hammered out a deal that will launch negotiations to put the world on a path towards deeper emission cuts after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

It was a long, exhausting process that went 24 hours into overtime. But in the end, Canada and the U.S. bowed to pressure and agreed to stop blocking progress.

The two-week conference produced a "Bali road map," which could put the world on a path to deeper emissions cuts after 2012. The road map includes a range of emission reductions for developed countries of 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.

The final hours of the negotiations were extremely dramatic and often emotional. During one stalemate, a clearly frustrated and disappointed Yvo de Boer, the UN's climate chief, broke down in tears and left the stage.

Talks were on the brink of falling apart after the U.S. stood firm in its position that a Bali road map must include a special exemption for weaker U.S. targets.

But a few hours later, after intense international pressure, the U.S. caved and agreed to move forward with the rest of the world.

Later in the afternoon, Canada stood alone with Russia in supporting an option for the Bali road map that ignored strong science. Country after country spoke out in favour of including the strong scientific language in the deal. Canada eventually backed down and changed its position so as not to block the overwhelming consensus.

Canadian environmental groups gave the deal a qualified welcome (read our news release here).

It's great that political leaders in Bali were able to come to an agreement on the need for deeper targets beyond 2012. Now it's time to start turning talk into action.

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 15, 2007
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December 14, 2007

Bali climate talks hit a stalemate

It's just after 1 a.m. in Bali. Negotiations at the UN climate conference were supposed to have wrapped up hours ago but talks have been extended and things are now deadlocked.

Canadian negotiators have reignited their efforts at blocking emission reduction targets for developed countries in the final text of an agreement.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is doing the same thing in a session involving developing countries and countries that haven't signed on to the Kyoto Protocol.

Both Canada and the U.S. are blocking the inclusion of an absolute emissions reduction target of 25 to 40 per cent for developed countries.
There appears to be no end in sight.

It could be a very long night.

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 14, 2007
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December 14, 2007

Climate change negotiations head into their final hours

Today is the last day of the UN climate conference in Bali. The crucial negotiations have now entered their final hours.

No one's really sure how it will all turn out. It's becoming quite the cliff-hanger.

Will Canada back down and stop blocking progress? Will the world move forward and agree to deeper emissions cuts? Or will we get a watered-down deal that lets industrialized countries off the hook?

We won't know for sure until the gavel comes down at the end of the day -- whenever that is. Depending on who you talk to, the negotiations could finish by 6 p.m. or they could go straight through the night and into Saturday morning.

We put out a news release yesterday outlining what we hope will happen here in Bali

All that anyone can do now is wait.

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 14, 2007
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December 13, 2007

Canada vs. the world

Each day, Canada grows more and more isolated at the UN climate conference in Bali.

There is a clear divide and it's deepening.

Canada is trying to prevent industrialized countries from agreeing on a plan that would set an emission reduction range of 25 to 40 per cent.

Canada continues to demand that "binding targets" be imposed on all countries or none.

And Canada was part of a group of countries blocking progress on the transfer of clean technology to developing countries.

Canada's position in Bali is drawing sharp criticism:

Canadian Press: Chorus of condemnation hits Canada in Bali

National Post: Canada calls emissions targets unacceptable

Toronto Star: Hopes dim for Bali breakthrough

Canada's obstructionist position stands in stark contrast to the messages delivered at the opening ceremony of the high-level segment yesterday.

Heads of state and high-level UN officials stood up one after another and drove home the message that if we don't take strong action now, it will be too late.

The message was impossible to misinterpret. The science is clear and it is unequivocal -- climate change is happening and it is happening now. And the only way to avoid the worst impacts of global warming is to immediately cut our emissions.

It's time to get serious and agree to deeper, stronger targets, and back those targets up with action. We must make that leap forward here in Bali or we’ll be condemned to irreversible consequences. It's just a matter of political will.

Yesterday's opening ceremony was an urgent call to action. And yet, Canada still doesn't seem to get it.

This morning, Environment Minister John Baird addressed the conference. He kept his comments vague enough that it wasn't clear if Canada would continue to be obstructionist or change tracks and follow the leaders.

Let's hope Canada make the right decision when the conference wraps up tomorrow.

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 13, 2007
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December 12, 2007

Embarrassed to be Canadian

Almost every country at the UN climate conference in Bali is working hard to tackle climate change. As for Canada? Well, Canada is working hard to weasel out of taking action.

It's embarrassing.

Let me give you a small example of Canada's belligerent behaviour at these negotiations.

Last night, the federal government hosted an event to explain its climate change plan.

I decided to go because I was genuinely interested in hearing Environment Minister John Baird speak about Canada's position (also, there was free food).

I sat down at the back of the room where Baird was hanging out.

At the front of the room, there were three industry representatives up on stage promoting their "clean" technologies. I felt like I had wandered onto the set of an infomercial.

This is strange, I thought to myself. What does this have to do with Canada's position on climate change?

But I gave Baird the benefit of the doubt and assumed he was waiting for the last minute to take his seat up on stage. But a few minutes after the event started, Baird disappeared and never returned.

An hour later, the moderator announced that Baird wouldn't be speaking at the event because he "had to go back to the negotiating group."

At this point, most of the people sitting in the room stood up and left. I was one of them. I was annoyed that the federal government had wasted my time. It was a classic "bait and switch" scheme and I had been duped.

Canada's bad behaviour isn't going unnoticed. I had lunch with an Australian journalist today who said the event was a "complete con" and "totally outrageous."

A Nigerian delegate joined our table. Upon learning I was Canadian, he said, "Aren't you ashamed to show your face here?"

He started berating me until I waved my pass in his face and told him I was here with an environmental organization, not the federal government.

His tone softened.

"You're okay," he said. "But Canada isn't."

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 12, 2007
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December 11, 2007

A typical day at the UN climate conference

You may be wondering what it's like to be an observer at the UN climate conference in Bali. I'm here to tell you that it's not all sunshine, beachside blogging and pina coladas at the swim-up bar.

Nope. It's mostly just meetings, meetings and more meetings. It never fails to amaze me how something so critically important can also be so tediously boring.

But then there are moments when it's so fast-paced and exciting that you find yourself thinking how amazing it is, and how privileged you are, to have a front-row seat to history.

Let me take you through a typical day.

An early wake-up call is in order as my hotel is a 40-minute drive away from the conference venue in Nusa Dua. For those of you unfamiliar with Bali, Nusa Dua is a gated compound filled with massive five-star resorts. It's kind of like Las Vegas without the lights.

It's also exorbitantly expensive so I'm staying outside the Nusa Dua enclave where rates are much more reasonable. It's a hassle to be so far away but at least the UN has provided a fleet of shuttle buses to get us from the hotel to the conference centre every morning.

My favourite part of the commute is watching the hordes of motorcycles weave in and out of traffic. I watch with a mixture of horror and awe as women zip along the congested streets with one hand cradling a baby and the other hand holding the motorcycle's handle bar.

After fighting through heavy traffic, and gawking at the daredevil antics of the motorcyclists, we arrive in Nusa Dua 40 minutes later. All cars entering the conference area must pass through a security checkpoint. Cameras scan the underbody of each vehicle while police officers search through the trunks.

The bus drops us off outside the conference centre, which is patrolled by hundreds of police officers armed with machine guns. The big guns are intimidating but I've never met a friendlier and more laidback bunch of police officers. They're always smiling and waving hello. They also spend a lot of time napping on the beach.

At the next security checkpoint, our bags are searched by hand and then put through an X-ray machine. UN officials scan the ID passes around our necks and make sure the face that pops up on the computer screen matches the face of the person standing in front of them.

Having made it past security, my first order of business is a morning meeting with representatives from several Canadian environmental groups. But it's a 20-minute walk from the conference centre to the hotel where the non-governmental meeting rooms are located.

You can't walk two feet outside the conference centre without being honked at by an enterprising taxi driver calling out "Transport? Transport?"

It's blazing hot in Bali and most delegates are happy to jump into an air-conditioned cab but I prefer to walk, even if it means arriving at a meeting drenched in sweat (15-hour workdays leave little time for exercise).

There are free bikes for delegates to use but I haven't taken one for a spin yet. I haven't quite mastered the art of riding a bike while wearing a skirt.

At our morning meeting, we discuss the previous day's events, new developments, media coverage from Canada and what's on the agenda. We brainstorm about the best way to get our message out that day. Should we write a press release? Or just drop by the media tent to chat with the journalists?

Once the morning meeting is over, it's time to hike back to the conference centre to take in a press conference or two. Today there were 21 different press conferences to choose from. I'm less interested in the content of the press conference and more interested in the questions the journalists are asking. It's a good way to find out what's generating a buzz in Bali.

Then it's time to check email, scan the media stories and sit in on the negotiations. My cell phone rings incessantly. Journalists call to set up interviews or look for a scoop. My colleagues call to go over the draft of a news release or to discuss something contentious on (or off) the agenda.

My stomach growls, and I realize I've forgotten to eat lunch. I quickly grab a bite to eat from one of the food stalls set up around the conference centre. The food isn't very good but there aren't many options. There's no time to go into town and not enough money to eat at any of the nearby resorts (five-star hotels also have five-star prices).

So I settle for a sandwich inside the conference centre. There's no local food on the menu but there are chocolate croissants and lattes.

After wolfing down lunch, it's time to run out for a meeting with about 200 people from non-governmental organizations from around the world. We meet every afternoon to report back on the key issues and developments at the negotiations.

Two of my Suzuki Foundation coworkers, Mark Lutes and Dale Marshall, are also here in Bali. Mark and Dale are the brains of the operation and are able to follow the often confusing and extremely technical negotiations with a level of detail that goes right over my head.

They tell me what's going on and I try to figure out what's newsworthy and what's not. I try to write about the negotiations in a way that's clear, compelling and understandable (it's not as easy as it sounds).

In the evening, there are a variety of side events to choose from. Today is the 10th anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol so there are a few poolside parties planned. I'll probably stop by the UN party for a glass of wine and some free food. But I can't stay long.

At 8 p.m. tonight, the federal government will host an event to talk about its climate change plan. It should be interesting. Environment Minister John Baird is expected to be the star of the show (and I don't mean that in a good way).

If I'm lucky, my workday will finish by 10 p.m. I'll crash into bed completely exhausted only to wake up a few hours later and do it all over again.

And there you have it. Just a typical day at the UN climate conference.

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 11, 2007
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December 10, 2007

It's getting hot in here

Things are really starting to heat up in Bali. And I'm not just talking about the weather.

The UN climate conference has shifted into high gear now that the negotiations have entered their critical final week.

The roads are lined with police convoys as high-profile delegates descend on Bali.

Canadian Environment Minister John Baird arrived on the weekend. Al Gore and Arnold Schwarzenegger are scheduled to make an appearance later this week. The rumor making the rounds today is that my future husband George Clooney is also on his way here (I'm giddy just thinking about it).

There's a hectic, frenzied pace at the beachfront resort where the conference is being held. I feel sorry for the hotel guests here on vacation. It's not very relaxing to be surrounded by thousands of delegates in business suits rushing from one meeting to another, yelling into their cell phones along the way.

Those of us monitoring the talks are being run off our feet trying to keep up with Canada's negotiating position and all of the international press it's generating.

In the past few days, Canada's negotiating position has come under fire from all sorts of high-profile sources. When the head of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) came down hard on Canada, people sat up and listened. It's extremely unusual, and almost unprecedented, for the UN to criticize the negotiating positions of individual countries at these talks.

Especially when the head of the IPCC publicly says Canada has "a government of skeptics" that "do not want to do anything on climate change." Ouch.

The UN is not the only one slamming Canada. In a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said Canada's approach on climate change will cause our emissions to increase, not decrease.

Next up to bat is Yvo de Boer, the UN Climate Chief. He attacked Canada's demand that developing countries have the same emissions standards as developed nations when he said "it's reasonable for industrialized countries that caused the problem in the first place to take targets to reduce their emissions."

Even the German delegation is adding its voice to the chorus of those speaking out against Canada. Karsten Sach, the head of the German delegation, said "Wir European halten die kanadische Position nicht für zielfuhrend" (or "We Europeans don't see the Canadian position as constructive").

With so many senior officials lining up to criticize Canada's position, it shows how far in the wrong direction we’re heading.

Canada is quickly losing its credibility on the international stage, not to mention its ability to influence the negotiations.

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 10, 2007
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December 07, 2007

test (not a real post)

testing photo thing. this is a photo of dale going through security

Add another photo.

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 07, 2007
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December 07, 2007

Sabotage?

The big news in Bali today was a document out of Ottawa.

The document in question is from the federal government. It outlines the position Canada will take at the UN climate change negotiations in Bali.

The leaked document demands that poorer nations accept the same binding absolute emission reduction targets as developed nations. Canada also wants other countries to recognize that its so-called "national circumstances" entitle it to a weaker target.

This sounds suspiciously like Canada's argument in the past that it deserves weaker targets since it is a major oil and gas producer and exporter (tar sands expansion, here we come!).

If Canada takes this approach here in Bali, it could derail UN climate negotiations during their critical final week. And it will almost certainly guarantee a weaker agreement at the end of the Bali conference.

As soon as this story broke, a bunch of us quickly got together to draft a news release in response.

A key issue is that Canada’s approach violates a fundamental principle of the Kyoto Protocol -- that industrialized countries are largely responsible for causing the problem of climate change and must take the lead in tackling it (see Thursday's blog post).

Canada's lack of credibility was reinforced this week when Rajendra K. Pachauri -- chair of the Nobel-Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- said that the federal government "has been a government of skeptics" that "do not want to do anything on climate change."

We're trying to stay hopeful but things aren't looking very promising right now.

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 07, 2007
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December 06, 2007

Sabotage?

The big news in Bali today was a leaked document out of Ottawa.

Canadian Press reporter Jennifer Ditchburn received a leaked federal document that shows Canadian negotiators in Bali are under explicit instruction to derail momentum as UN climate negotiations move into their critical final week.

According to the CP article, the leaked instructions direct Canadian negotiators to demand that poorer nations accept the same binding absolute emission caps as developed nations. Canada also wants other countries to recognize that its so-called "national circumstances" entitle Canada to a weaker target.

A bunch of us quickly got together to draft a news release in response. (You can read the news release here.)

The news release argues that Canada's approach violates a fundamental principle of the Kyoto Protocol -- that industrialized countries are largely responsible for causing the problem of climate change and must take the lead in tackling it.

Political leaders will arrive in Bali next week, including Canadian Environment Minister John Baird. If Canada comes to Bali with this kind of position, it will find itself isolated on the world stage.

In other news:

AFP: Nobel climate panel chief raps Canada on carbon cuts

Globe and Mail: Ottawa gains key allies to 'move beyond Kyoto'

CBC.ca: Quebec unveils new green plan on eve of Bali climate talks

Posted by Sarah Marchildon at December 06, 2007
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