this week negotiations begin in Bali for a new Kyoto agreement, or post Kyoto agreement.  Ironically the conference is being held in a country that has a poor record of environmental protection which in many ways illustrates the issues facing attendees at the conference.  The situation will never be perfect but you have to make the most of what you have got.

These types of conferences are always over blown and most of the decisions are normally made outside of them.  That said, what are the outcomes, we at this website, would like to see from the meeting.  We have five wishes, some very necessary, some symbolic.  They are:

- a commitment to develop clean technology as the main platform of the next treaty.  A clean technology fund should be created which is supported by a levy on every country that can afford it, say 0.25% of their total budgets.  this fund should be privately managed but for the benefit of the whole world so that any technology developed can be adopted by any country.  We want to avoid the barriers that IP may bring to those that can't afford it as happens so regularly in the drug industry.

- a universal standard is set for emissions  and agreed so that they can be universally reported, traded and measured.  As part of the package, a supporting emissions trading scheme is put in place.

- a commitment to renewables that does not burden the food supply or the land that will provide it, including forests

- a commitment to preserve forest in the developing world where the preservation is supported by Western funding

- symbolically, a commitment to phase out plastic bags globally within two years

We have always believed that technology needs to meet the challenges of climate change and the environment and that governments need to acknowledge and support that.  It will be an interesting week.