The international climate negotiations have seen endless struggles between countries from South and North for almost 17 years, ever since the initiation of negotiations by the International Negotiation Committee for the UNFCCC.

This article concludes that the outcome of the Bali meeting is insufficient when compared to the nature of the challenge posed by climate change. However, it can nevertheless be considered a success in terms of 'realpolitik' in paving the way for the negotiations ahead, because some real changes have been discerned in the political landscape.