U.N. Chief Faces Friday Deadline for Climate Plan

Dec. 13, 2007 — -- Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, quietly walks into the room. His demeanor is humble, despite the paparazzi that chase his every move.

His task at the U.N. Climate Change Conference, to get nearly 190 countries to agree on an environmental road map, has just been put on the clock; he has a deadline of Friday at noon.

"This is an issue affecting the whole of humanity," Ban says. "The world is changing much faster than we have thought. The science has made it quite clear. I have been trying my best to raise the awareness of this very significantly serious issue among the international community."

Delegates from around the globe have spent two weeks at the convention, meeting to hammer out details regarding what comes after the Kyoto Protocol. The debate over which countries are responsible for what, regarding the environment, is still unresolved.

One of the most talked-about divides is over target percentages to cut greenhouse gas emissions over a period of time, specifically for developed countries to commit to cutting by 25 to 40 percent by the year 2020. The U.N. and EU are in favor, and the United States, Canada and Japan are not.

The United States is the only industrialized country not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, in which nations committed to reducing their greehouse gas emissions. Ban takes into account the United States' challenges, but notes that every country has its own set of problems.

"I have discussed in depth what the challenges of the United States will be and I have urged the United States, as the most important economic power and political leader to take the lead," Ban says."

Ban says that not deciding on all the numbers now may still lead to negotiations in the future.

"I'm reasonably convinced that we'll be able to make success from this Bali meeting. Everybody is seriously engaged in this negotiation. Everybody now understands the seriousness," Ban tells ABC News.