Climate pact gets preliminary OK despite Bolivia's objection

UN climate talks gave preliminary approval on Saturday to a deal to combat global warming despite objections by Bolivia, delegates said.   

"It is decided," Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe of Zimbabwe, chairing a session of the talks in Cancun, Mexico, said as she banged down her gavel to signal a consensus.  

The decision has to be formally endorsed at a full formal session later on Saturday, and in requires unanimity from all 190 states. 

Applause for Mukahanana-Sangarwe by weary delegates drowned out any possible objections by Bolivia, which has been isolated at the meeting in opposing the deal.                                           

The plan was unlocked after delegates simply put off until 2011 a dispute between rich and poor nations over the future of the UN's Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto obliges developed nations to cut emissions until 2012.   

The deal does not include a commitment to extend Kyoto beyond 2012, when it is due to expire, but it would prevent a collapse of climate change negotiations and allow for some modest advances on protecting the environment.

Earlier, the United States, China and dozens of other countries rallied around the plan for a modest package of measures including a new "Green Climate Fund" to help poor nations cope with climate change.                                

The proposal, brokered by Mexico, would also help share clean technologies such as wind and solar power, help protect tropical forests, and help poor nations adapt to impacts such as floods, droughts and rising sea levels.  

Some delegates said that the session should not be held hostage by Bolivia alone.

"Bolivia ... rejects this document," Bolivian delegate Pablo Solon earlier told weary delegates after a 20-minute harangue of capitalism and climate policies by rich nations.

Bolivia has the toughest demands of any nation at the talks, demanding that rich nations halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2017 from 1990 levels - far beyond the demands of other nations.     

"The deal is done. There will probably be a footnote that Bolivia objected," said Jake Schmidt, of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Decisions are not adopted by votes, but when there are no objections raised by any country.