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Nations To Discuss Warming

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By MICHAEL CASEY, The Associated Press

Published: December 3, 2007

BALI, Indonesia - World powers meeting at a United Nations climate change conference in Indonesia this week will be unable to craft a meaningful plan on global warming without cooperation from the United States, top greenhouse gas emitter, the U.N. climate chief said Sunday.

The United States refused to sign the previous major global treaty to cut greenhouse gases, undermining its effectiveness.

Delegates from 190 nations will gather in Bali today for one of the largest global warming conferences ever, bringing together about 10,000 people, including former Vice President Al Gore and drought-stricken farmers, for two weeks of marathon discussions.

World leaders will try to start talks that could bring a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012. A major issue will be whether emission cuts should be mandatory or voluntary and how to help the poorest countries adapt to a warmer climate.

Yvo de Boer, general secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, said a U.S. role "would be critical" in discussions, and delegates must have a plan Washington embraces.

"To design a long-term response to climate change that does not include the world's largest emitter and the world's largest economy just would not make any sense," he said.

The United States, which with Australia refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, said before the Bali talks that it was eager to launch negotiations, but has been among industrialized nations leading an effort against mandatory emission cuts.

The United States, however, is isolated at the conference because Australian Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd, whose party swept to power in elections just one a week ago, immediately put signing the Kyoto pact atop his international agenda.

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