A "U.S. U-turn" resulted in "a deal to launch two years of talks on a broad new climate treaty involving all countries." The change took place on Saturday, a full day after the 2-week U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, was supposed to have ended.Here's Reuters' highlights of the last "dramatic 90 minutes" on the road to what's being called the "Bali Roadmap":
1:00 p.m. ... Developing nations led by India and China are demanding that rich countries do more to lead the way in fighting climate change. The demands arose overnight, partly after the European Union bowed to U.S. pressure and toned down calls for the final text to lay out clear 2020 guidelines for rich nations to axe greenhouse gas emissions.
1:20 p.m. - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, making an unscheduled return after leaving Bali on Friday for East Timor, enters the conference hall with Indonesian President Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
'I am disappointed at the lack of progress,' Ban said. 'Everybody should be able to make compromises.'
'The worst thing we can do is for this project to crumble because we can't find the right wording,' Yudhoyono said. 'The world is watching anxiously and I beg you not to let them down.'
As "[d]elegates strongly applauded" the speeches, the EU backed down, prompting more applause. Then:
1:55 p.m. - Paula Dobriansky [right], under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs leading the U.S. delegation, reaffirms U.S. opposition, bringing boos.
No country spoke in support of the United States; to the contrary:
1:56 p.m. - ... Papua New Guinea delegate Kevin Conrad wins wild applause by addressing Dobriansky and saying:
'We ask for your leadership, we seek your leadership ... if you can't give us what we want, please get out of the way.'
Then, the "U.S. U-turn":
2:19 p.m. - Dobriansky backs down, saying 'We will go forward and join consensus,' triggering applause.
Consensus reached; roadmap in place.
Reason for the switch? Reuters reports:
Dobriansky said she changed her mind because the developing country speakers convinced her that they were serious about acting to fight climate change. She said she did not consult Washington before changing her mind.
Final comment from Bali:
Bill Hare of environmental group Greenpeace said he believed it was the first time since 1996 that Washington had won applause at a U.N. climate meeting.
Not so fast: For today's New York Times editorial popping the Bali bubble of good feelings, see here.
