中国气候变化信息网 China Climate Change Info-Net

The UN climate change conference begins in Bali on Monday with officials and ministers from around the world set to start negotiations on a new international climate change deal.

Thousands of delegates are gathering on the Indonesian island with the hope a "roadmap" can be laid out for talks on a new agreement, which will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

The conference comes amid increasingly strong warnings from scientists and environmentalists that "catastrophic" climate change would result from inaction and concerns from aid agencies that the world's poor will be hardest and first hit.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, who will be participating in the talks, said climate change was the "greatest challenge the world faces".

"In Bali, we need the world to agree to start negotiations on a global climate deal to take us beyond 2012. We want to leave with a roadmap that will take us to an agreement in 2009 - and that roadmap must have a role for every country.

"The negotiation process must involve all nations, with all the major economies firmly and actively involved in negotiating further action and commitments," he said.

He warned the negotiations - which will involve representatives from more than 180 countries - were going to be very tough, and there was no guarantee of success.

"But this is a global emergency, and the consequences of inaction are unthinkable," he said. "We are seeing encouraging signs from all over the world, and there's reason to be more optimistic than ever before - but we can't afford to be complacent.

"Securing the Bali roadmap will take immense commitment and political will from all the governments of the world."