1.2 The Bali road map
The 13th Conference of the Parties (COP13) took place in Bali in December 2007 and culminated in the ‘Bali road map’, a 2-year negotiating process aiming to secure a binding deal at the 2009 UN summit in Denmark.
Some key elements of the Bali Road Map and other issues agreed in Bali can be summarised as follows:
Emissions cuts
Acknowledges that evidence for climatic warming is unequivocal and that delays in reducing emissions increase the risks of severe climate change impacts.
Recognises that deep cuts in global emissions will be required to avoid dangerous climate change, the ultimate objective of the UN climate convention.
Decides to look at a long-term global goal for emission reductions.
Developed nations to take on commitments that are ‘measurable, reportable and verifiable’, and ‘nationally appropriate’ and which may include quantified, binding targets for all or some.
For developing nations,‘measurable, reportable and verifiable’ actions with Western support in the context of sustainable development.
Adaptation
Enhanced cooperation to ‘support urgent implementation’ of measures to protect poorer countries against climate change impacts.
Acknowledges that economic diversification can ‘build resilience’.
Resolves to consider ways of reducing the occurrence or damage from natural disasters.
Technology transfer
Will consider how to remove obstacles to, and provide financial and other incentives for, ‘scaling up’ the transfer of clean energy technologies from industrialised nations to the developing world.
Decides to reinstate an expert group on technology transfer to advise developing countries.
Forests
Pledges to consider ‘policy approaches and positive incentives’ to reduce deforestation and conserve forest cover.
Funds pledged to the World Bank to initiate projects under the banner of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing countries.
1 National and international mitigation