(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-15 14:00

BALI, Indonesia -- The compromise of the European Union and the United States over 25-40 emissions goals for rich countries by 2020 has brought a glimpse of hope for securing a Bali Roadmap before the UN climate change conference in Indonesia's resort island of Bali concludes.

The two-week meeting, starting on Dec. 3 and was scheduled to end on Friday, runs into Saturday as marathon talks, discussions and bargains are still going on among climate negotiators to the meeting.

Environmental activists and supporters shout slogans during a demonstration at the venue of the UN Climate Change Conference 2007 in Nusa Dua on Bali island. [Xinhua]

In a last-ditch efforts for securing a Bali Roadmap and trying to break the deadlock between the EU and the US, Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar, also the conference president, suggested dropping the EU-backed ambition for rich nations to cut emissions goals by between 25 and 40 percent by 2020 in a bid to overcome Washington's opposition.

The Indonesian proposal gave both the EU and the US room to work out the long-expected compromise, producing a relatively vague mandate for two years of negotiations.

"The progress of the meeting is slower than I expected," UN climate chief Yvo de Boer told reporters at a press briefing.

But he was optimistic about the Bali talks. "We're on the brink of an agreement. We're absolutely not deadlocked."

"It's better to leave here with a clear decision," he said. "Everyone here is trying to make a deal, including the United States."

After the EU toned down a clash with Washington over the 2020 emissions goals for rich countries, "The United States is making a great deal of flexibility," he said.

It is reported that UN Secretary-General Ban Kee-moon, who left Bali for Timor-Leste on Friday, will make an unscheduled return to the conference.

The deadlock between the EU and the US came under spotlight Thursday as the EU threatens to boycott a US-led climate talks in Hawaii in January.

"No result in Bali means no Major Economies Meeting," said Sigmar Gabriel, top EU environment official from Germany. "This is the clear position of the EU. I do not know what we should talk about if there is no target."

Echoing the German Environment Minister, France Thursday also said it would "hesitate" to take part in the US-led climate meeting and called on the United States to agree to figures on cutting carbon emissions.

The draft text obtained by Xinhua retained an ambition for global greenhouse gas emissions to peak in the next 10 to 15 years and to fall well below half of 2000 levels by 2050.

The text said that developed countries should take the lead in driving cuts in emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases. It omitted a US proposal tabled that all countries should only aspire to national emissions targets and returned instead to previous texts that put the main burden on the rich.

It said that all developed countries should consider "quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments" and developing nations should consider "measurable and reportable national mitigation actions".

The 4th assessment report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes it very clear that in order to avoid the worst damages of climate change, global emissions need to peak and decline before 2020.

The Bali roadmap is supposed to start a two-year process of negotiations on a new climate deal before the current phase of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

The Protocol binds 36 industrialized countries to reduce emissions by an average 5 percent below the 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.