http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4851

Bali’s Business-As-Usual Mandate

Janet Redman

Following two weeks of climate talks in Bali that brought together nearly 190 countries and more than 10,000 delegates, observers and activists, it looks like there’s very little to show for negotiations that were less about urgent climate action than business as usual.

The meetings were convened under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the international body that 10 years ago negotiated the Kyoto Protocol, the accord that set binding targets for industrialized countries on climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions. The United States was the only wealthy country not to ratify the agreement. This year’s talks were about forging a path to a new agreement that would be ready to take over when Kyoto expires in 2012. Ultimately, Bali turned into a game of cat and mouse with the U.S. trying to water down the plan and everyone else trying to get the U.S. on board.