Bali talks to seek global climate deal in 2009

The Dec. 3-14 talks, involving more than 10,000 delegates in a tightly guarded idyllic beach resort, will seek to launch negotiations meant to end with a U.N. new pact in two years' time including outsiders led by the United States and China.

So far, only 36 industrialised nations in the Kyoto Protocol have caps on greenhouse gas emissions running to 2012.

However, bleak U.N. reports this year warning of more heatwaves, droughts and rising seas have said global curbs are needed fast.

But working out a fair share of curbs on emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, between rich countries and poor nations led by China and India will be a huge puzzle.

"We heard no dispute that developed countries need to keep taking the lead," wrote Howard Bamsey of Australia and Sandea De Wet of South Africa in a report after a set of U.N. talks reviewing new ways to fight climate change since 2005.