CRI听力：2007 UN Climate Change Conference Opens in Bali

The 2007 United Nations' Conference on Climate Change opened on the island of Bali, Indonesia on Monday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Yvo de Boer, general secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, urged industrial countries to take a lead in dealing with the issue of climate change.

"What I do hope is that the meeting will do three things: First of all, I hope by the end of the high-level segment next week we can agree to formally launch negotiations on a long-term climate change regime. Secondly, I hope those meetings can agree on the agenda the negotiations needs to take. And the third important thing is an end day to the negotiations, defining when the negotiations can be completed."

Comprising 10,000 people, including activists and journalists from some 190 countries, the conference is aimed at launching negotiations toward a pact to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires at the end of 2012, and setting an agenda for talks and a deadline.

The UN says a new agreement should be concluded by 2009 in order to have a system in place in time. The main thrust will be to draw the United States, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, into the process.