India and China blocked a last minute deal at the world climate conference in Bali on Saturday, as the conference's host again called on delegates to reach an agreement for a pact to fight global warming after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, according to dpa. In an unprecedented move, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the delegates to reach a breakthrough. "Here and now, we must produce a roadmap - the Bali roadmap - that will effectively guide us in the most concrete terms to a firm and effective agreement in Copenhagen," Yudhoyonon said. "This means concrete actions, concrete resources and concrete timelines. Without an effective roadmap, we may never reach out destination as we envisioned it." He said the delegates must "choose correctly" whening drafting the document, adding that the worst that could happen would be for Earth to crumble because they cannot find the right "wording." "Too much is at stake. The alternative to a breakthrough in our efforts here and now is not acceptable," he said. "We can not fail. We must not fail. For the sake of our future generations, we must make that breakthrough to which we pledged ourselves." Negotiators from more than 180 countries were trying to iron out a compromise on whether guidelines for negotiations to create a post- 2012 global climate agreement by the end of 2009 should mention scientific evidence about the need for emissions cuts of 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. India and China had voiced objections to how developing countries should reduce their carbon emissions. India wanted countries to set their own targets, allowing it to limit the impact of the regulations on its economy. China was seeking new consultations outside of the plenary session. Munir Akram, who leads the main negotiating bloc of developing countries, the G77, said late Friday that developing countries had come under "strong pressure and even faced "threats" of trade sanctions to also accept mandatory emission reduction commitments that he called "unfair and unjust." Developing countries are not required to accept emission reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, and say that any such commitments would cramp economic growth and curb poverty reduction efforts. In this context, the G77 and China have been resisting concerted efforts from some developed countries to press for a comprehensive new agreement. Indian minister Kapil Sibal reiterated the unity of the G77 on this position, saying that "we don't want to come out of here diluting the content of the Convention and the Protocol ... That is at the centre of our position." The conference was scheduled to end Friday, but wrangling over targets for cutting world greenhouse emissions continued until well into the night and Saturday without agreement. In an attempt to help end the deadlock, UN chief Ban urged the ministers to reach the necessary agreement "now." "Everyone should be ready to make compromises for the basis of mutual respect, understanding and flexibility," Ban said. "What separated you now is not fundamental." The European Union, supported by most developing nations, was aggressively pushing for the 25 to 40 per cent target range to be included in the text, but was being opposed by the US, Canada, Japan and Australia, which say any mention of numbers will prejudice the negotiations. In an attempt to break the deadlock, the conference president, Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar, proposed revised language dropping the numbers but still reaffirming that emissions should be reduced at least by half by 2050. Witoelar's proposal provided a basis for a potential compromise, producing a relatively vague mandate for two years of negotiations. As worded, his draft did not guarantee any level of binding commitment by any nation. The draft was to instruct negotiators to consider incentives and other means to encourage less developed nations to curb carbon emissions on a voluntary basis. The Kyoto Protocol, which requires 36 industrial nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5 per cent below 1990 levels, is to end in 2012. The United States is the only rich nation which has not ratified the protocol.
