It's all too depressingly familiar. The Bali consensus was watered down by low tactics from the US (supported by Japan, Canada, Australia and others). The strong science that should be driving the process was relegated to a footnote. And work to reduce emissions from deforestation still has a long way to go, thanks to the inclusion of a loophole that may allow some industrialised countries to swap binding targets for voluntary goals.

But the fact that we have a Bali Mandate at all - including a process, a deadline and a guarantee that several of the most important issues are on the agenda - is worth a celebration in itself.

Last night, on the tenth anniversary of the most far-reaching environmental treaty ever signed, Ban Ki-Moon said:

"Today we are at the crossroads; one path leading towards a comprehensive new climate agreement, and the other towards oblivion."

And until yesterday, things were pottering along OK at the Bali negotiations. We were waiting for ministers from around the world to inject a sense of urgency into the negotiations, and to secure the much-needed commitments for industrialised countries to cut emissions by 25 to 40 per cent by 2020, and for all countries to halve emissions by 2050.

From our Making Waves blog:

Yesterday, a Greenpeace delegation met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Here's a first hand account from Greenpeace Executive Director, Gerd Leipold: