If you thought that the big and mighty among the internationally-renowned environmental policy makers, draftsmen, negotiators and analysts of the developed or developing nations will make that “crucial and pinpoint difference” in the United Nations Conference on Climatic Change in Bali, Indonesia - you were dead wrong!

That brilliant position goes to the Papua New Guinea delegate and Kevin Mark Conrad who calmly leaned into his microphone and said to the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America “We seek your leadership...” and “But if for some reason you are not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get out of the way."

The conference exploded with applause and the US delegation backed down after an earlier rejection and hardline approach. As a result, the way was cleared on Saturday for the adoption of the Bali Roadmap.

For me, that was the hallmark of the two-week long international climate talks marked by bitter disagreements, emotional breakdowns, tears and angry accusations which culminated in a last-minute US compromise and an agreement to adopt a blueprint for fighting global warming by 2009.

Now comes the hard part.

Delegates from nearly 190 nations will have to get their act together in one mind and course, fixing goals for industrialised nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions while helping developing countries to reduce theirs and adapt to rising temperatures. The said negotiators need to consider ways to encourage developing countries to protect their rapidly dwindling forests which absorb carbon dioxide.

As far as I am concerned, it is going to be a complex, long and difficult negotiation filled with all forms and shapes of challenges. For the record, those who gathered in Bali to launch negotiations to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, had gathered with hope for a miracle. They came knowing that they were to decide in the next two years will determine how much the world warms in the decades to come.

It is a known fact that without sharp cutbacks in emissions of the industrial, transportation and agricultural gases we are set for an environmental nightmare! Among the severe consequences are rising sea levels, droughts, severe weather and species extinction. I am advised that to avoid the worst case scenario, present emissions should be reduced by between 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020. Greenhouse and other heat-trapping gases should be at least halved by 2050.

But we must thank Papua New Guinea and Kevin Mark Conrad for that miracle breakthrough when all seemed lost in the face of the US hardline approach. We must also thank the truthful and dedicated leadership without fanfare, media built-ups, spins, fabrications, distortions, half-truths, lies, blatant lies, distorted statistics and absolute abuse of power which we have tolerated and become so used to.

At this international event, the small nation of Papua New Guinea had showed dedication, drive and an honest, faithful leadership. They braved all to walk the talk! I sincerely hope we can all learn a thing or two from this episode.