Climate summit outcome hailed as historic

Canada: The successful outcome of the UN climate-change summit, with the US unexpectedly climbing on board at the last minute, has been hailed for producing a historic agreement that should strengthen efforts to combat global warming.

Following all-night negotiations in Montreal that ended at 6.15am on Saturday, ministers and officials representing more than 180 countries finally reached a deal which effectively establishes a twin-track approach to dealing with the problem.

Though the Americans had walked out of the talks at 2am on Friday, they returned later in the day to propose some minor changes to dilute the final draft - after realising that nearly everyone else was determined to proceed, even without the US.

Canadian environment minister Stephane Dion, who chaired the conference, had proposed the original text on how to enhance implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopted at the Earth Summit in 1992.

Mr Dion's draft was seen as weak by environmentalists, committing both developed and developing countries merely to engage in further talks on what to do about global warming. But even that was too much for the US - until it changed its tune.

At one stage, it even seemed possible that the US would veto the final resolution. However, under pressure from the EU and the group of 130-plus developing countries known as G77, and negative media coverage at home, the US delegation finally signed up.

The Kyoto Protocol, which President Bush spurned after taking office in 2001, fared somewhat better. Despite what Friends of the Earth described as a "last-minute game of Russian roulette", protocol parties agreed to strengthen its provisions.

Developed countries that have ratified it will now proceed "without delay" to start negotiations on making deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions after Kyoto runs out in 2012, in time to ensure that there is no gap between it and a new treaty.

Having earlier adopted a "rule book" on how the protocol is to be enforced and agreed on an adaptation fund to assist developing countries in the front line of global warming, the Montreal summit has given Kyoto a new lease of life.

"Scientific evidence clearly demands urgent action to cut the pollution that is warming our world. The international community has wisely taken these warnings seriously by agreeing to further action," said Catherine Pearce of Friends of the Earth.

Richard Kinley, acting head of the framework convention's secretariat, described Montreal as one of the most productive UN climate-change summits ever. The plan it adopted at the weekend "sets the course for future action on climate change", he said. Minister for the Environment Dick Roche, who attended the "high-level segment" of the conference, said the most important outcome was to keep the process going. "The Americans had to bend their knee because they couldn't break the consensus."

The next conference of the parties (COP) to the convention and meeting of the parties (MOP) to the Kyoto Protocol it spawned is due to take place next December, either in Nairobi or Bonn.