Special Report: Fight against Global Warming

    BALI, Indonesia, Dec. 13 ( Xinhua) -- U.N. bodies attending a crucial climate convention meeting in Bali, Indonesia, Thursday announced that they are offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions linked with travel to and from the two-week event.

    The move, covering some 20 agencies, funds and programs, also includes U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and his team, according to Indonesia's Antara News Agency.

    In order to show leadership and demonstrate practical action in support of developing countries and the urgent need to counter global warming, the U.N. bodies have jointly agreed to invest in credits accumulating in the adaptation fund of the Kyoto Protocol.

    The U.N. calculates that its greenhouse gas emissions arising from travel to and from Indonesia represents around 3,370 tons of carbon dioxide worth approximately 100,000 U.S. dollars at current carbon prices.

    Achim Steiner, U.N. Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP), said Thursday, "The U.N. is today delivering as one on the issue of climate changeas it is increasingly doing across the range of 21st century challenges as part of its on-going and forward-looking reform agenda."

    "Offsetting emissions by supporting the soon-to-be operational adaptation fund sends a clear signal that climate proofing vulnerable economies has - like the U.N.'s action on climate change generally risen to the top of the organization's agenda in 2007," he said.

    Norway, one of four countries that have pledged to go climate neutral nationally, Thursday also reconfirmed that it is backing the U.N. system-wide work towards climate neutrality with an initial investment of 820,000 dollars for the UNEP-hosted Environmental Management Group.

    Erik Solheim, Norwegian Minister of the Environment and International Development, said, "We believe it is important that the U.N. take the lead and facilitate a common understanding of what climate neutrality is and how to achieve it."

    The two-week U.N. climate meeting gathered around is being attended by more than 11,000 people, making it the largest U.N. climate change meeting ever held.

    Carbon neutral, or carbon offsetting, is the act of mitigating (offsetting) greenhouse gas emissions. Going carbon neutral is an easy way that people can all contribute to a solution by taking responsibility for the carbon dioxide emissions they create with cars, airplanes and energy use.