Climate change campaigners called yesterday for greater effort in the fight against global warming, saying the world was waiting for a crunch UN conference in Bali to produce a breakthrough.
Prominent figures, including Nobel prize-winning former US vice president Al Gore, are due to arrive on the Indonesian island in the coming days as the climate change summit enters its crucial final week.
"The whole year has been pointing at the Bali process," said John Coequyt, a climate campaigner from Greenpeace. "We have been here for a week now and there is not a lot of difference in discussion, tone and energy from previous summits. Things are going to have to change when ministers get here."
Government delegates from about 190 nations are here for the 11-day summit under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Their goal is to lay the groundwork for a new international initiative that will help combat the threat posed by climate change after the current phase of the existing treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, expires in 2012.
Scientists earlier this year delivered their starkest warning yet -- that without action, global warming could have an irreversible impact on the world, bringing hunger, floods, drought and the extinction of many plants and animal species in its wake.
"I will say [to ministers], the world is waiting -- what is your political answer to what science is telling you?" executive secretary of the UNFCCC Yvo de Boer said.
He has warned that the number of issues for ministers to discuss when they start meeting on Wednesday could clog up talks and said countries should focus on finalizing a timetable for further negotiations up to 2009, when they need to begin ratifying any agreement.
A key question is to what degree rich countries -- which leading experts say are historically responsible for most of the carbon emissions blamed for warming the planet -- should commit to slashing their output.
Europe and developing countries led by China want industrialized nations to set a binding target to cut such emissions by between 25 to 40 percent by 2020 over their 1990 levels.
Canada and Japan are reported to be in favor of fixed targets for booming economies like India and China as well, although de Boer said that was "inconceivable."
New Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will receive a warm welcome when he arrives tomorrow, after reversing his predecessor's policy and ratifying Kyoto in his first official act.
"It means that you sit down with other governments and work out what's necessary for the planet, what's necessary for everyone to contribute, including Australia," Rudd said.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Bangkok yesterday for a three-day official visit that includes talks with Thai leaders on climate change, a UN official said.
Ban will meet Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont today and give a speech on climate change.
Ban will also be granted a royal audience by King Bhumibol Adulyadej later in the day.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol yesterday declared emergency martial law, accusing the opposition of being “anti-state forces intent on overthrowing the regime” amid parliamentary wrangling over a budget bill. “To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness, I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said in a live televised address to the nation. “With no regard for the livelihoods of the people, the opposition party has paralysed governance solely for the sake of impeachments, special investigations, and shielding their leader from justice,” he
‘IMPORTANCE OF PEACE’: President Lai was welcomed by AIT Managing Director Ingrid Larson, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and others President William Lai (賴清德) was feted with red carpets, garlands of flowers and “alohas” as he began his two-day stopover in Hawaii on Saturday, part of a Pacific tour. Looking relaxed in a Hawaiian shirt, Lai flitted around the US island state, visiting the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Hawaii’s leading museum of natural history and native Hawaiian culture, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Lai was given the “red carpet treatment” on the tarmac of Honolulu’s international airport, his office said, adding that it was the first time a Taiwanese president had been given such
The Mainland Affairs Council and lawmakers yesterday accused a visiting Chinese university student of denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty by referring to the national baseball team that won a first-ever Premier12 title as “China, Taipei team” (中國台北隊). “We deeply regret the Chinese student’s words, that have hurt the feelings of Taiwanese... The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, as the organizers, should remind group members not to use inappropriate words and behavior,” a council statement said. “We hope these young Chinese can accurately observe the true views of Taiwanese, which would be a positive development for interactions between young people on the two sides of the Taiwan
PHONE CALLS: Two US lawmakers told Lai about the US Congress’ bipartisan support for Taiwan to preserve its democracy and freedom, and for stronger bilateral ties US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said during a telephone call with President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday morning that recognition of Taiwan is at the core of the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said. The call marked the first time Lai had spoken directly with Johnson, of the Republican Party, since taking office in May. Lai also had a call with US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of the Democratic Party and a videoconference with Republican Senator Roger Wicker while in Guam, during a stopover on his way back from visiting the nation’s allies in the Pacific,
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