Australia raised hopes of global action to fight climate change on Monday by agreeing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, isolating the United States at UN-led talks in Bali as the only rich nation not in the pact. Australia's decision won a standing ovation at the opening of tough two-week negotiations on the Indonesian resort isle.
The talks aim to pull together rich and poor countries around a common agenda to agree a broader successor to Kyoto by 2009. "I think I can speak for all present here by expressing a sigh of relief," conference host and Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar told the opening session of Australia's steps to ratify the Protocol.
New Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took the oath of office on Monday. His first official duty was signing documents to ratify Kyoto, ending his country's long-held opposition to the climate agreement that runs until 2012.
About 190 nations are in Bali seeking a breakthrough for a new global pact to include the United States and developing countries to fight climate change to avert droughts, heatwaves and rising seas that will hit the poor hardest.
"The world is watching closely," Witoelar told delegates at the December 3-14 meeting. "Climate change is unequivocal and accelerating," he said. "It is becoming increasingly evident that the most severe impacts of climate change will be felt by poor nations."
A new treaty is meant to widen the Kyoto Protocol, which binds 36 industrial countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12. The United States, as the world's top greenhouse gas emitter, has been feeling the heat from developing nations demanding the rich make stronger commitments to curb emissions.
Australia, the world's top coal exporter and among the world's highest per-capita greenhouse gas polluters, has been criticised for years for refusing the ratify Kyoto. "It was an emotional and spontaneous reaction to a very significant decision to ratify the Kyoto Protocol," Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Climate Secretariat, said of the ovation.
The United States was unfazed. "We respect Australia's decision," Harlan Watson, head of the US delegation, told reporters. "We're not here to be a roadblock. We're committed to a successful conclusion here." The United States has backed voluntary targets to fight climate change, but was viewing a new deal with an open mind, Watson said, who didn't rule out legally binding commitments.
De Boer told delegates rich nations had to agree to axe emissions from burning fossil fuels to encourage poor countries to start braking their own rising emissions.
"Bold action in the north can fuel clean growth in the south," he said, urging a sharing of clean energy technologies such as solar or wind power. "I fervently hope you will make a breakthrough here in Bali by adopting a negotiating agenda."
Others urged caution. "At the opening ceremonies for the climate talks in Bali, there was lots of good will and optimism, but there is clearly a challenging road ahead," said Angela Anderson, at the Washington-based National Environmental Trust.
And governments' opening remarks hinted at tough talks ahead. China insisted rich countries cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 25 to 40 percent by 2020, while Japan said China's active participation in a new climate deal was "essential".
Climate change talks have been bogged down by arguments over who curbs their fossil fuel use and carbon emissions most, and how to share that burden between rich and poor nations.
China and India, among the world's top emitters and comprising more than a third of humanity, say it's unfair that they agree to targets when rich countries contributed most to the problem, and as they try to lift millions out of poverty.
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