Delegates representing more than 190 countries struck a deal at the Earth Summit here late last night that was immediately denounced by environmental and development groups as "little more than a travesty". Frank McDonald reports from Johannesburg.
World leaders attending the summit had been urged to intervene urgently to ensure that the outcome reflected the principles of sustainable development. But it was too late to reach a credible compromise, particularly on the crucial issue of setting targets for renewable energy.
The energy accord, a defeat for the European Union and a victory for the United States and OPEC oil exporters, urges nations to "substantially increase" the global share of renewable energies like solar and wind power but stops short of setting any targets, as sought by the EU and some developing nations like Brazil.
The coalition of Irish non-governmental organisations attending the summit even appealed to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, who arrives here this morning, to "use Ireland's influence" to ensure an outcome more in line with the principles of sustainable development.
Mr Ahern's late arrival meant that he missed the summit banquet, which was held last night on the penthouse floor of the Sandton Towers Hotel, where the world leaders are being accommodated amid tight security. The US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, was also absent from the banquet.
According to Mr Antonio Hill, of Oxfam, the action plan currently being negotiated in the adjoining Sandton Convention Centre "doesn't pass the red face test". And he asked how the world leaders could "look us in the eye and shower us with platitudes" at the plenary session of the summit.
Mr Hill was among a number of speakers at a chaotic NGO press conference held on the street outside the congested media centre.
Because of South Africa's determination to protect all the VIPs, media and NGO representatives are finding it increasingly difficult to get around.
At the plenary, delegates heard set speeches from world leaders ranging from President Jacques Chirac of France to President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, who was cheered by some African journalists in the bedlam-like media centre for attacking the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair.
Behind the scenes, in a series of closed working group meetings, a titanic struggle was taking place all day yesterday.
On one side, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries were insisting that any mention of targets for renewable energy would have to be omitted.
Brazil's proposal that renewables should account for 10 per cent of global energy supply by 2010 has been rejected out of hand. But the idea of setting a target of some kind was strongly backed by the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Mexico, the Phillipines and New Zealand.
The US and its allies also insist that there must be no question of phasing out some $200 billion a year in subsidies for the oil, coal and gas industries worldwide - even though burning fossil fuels is one of the major contributors to global climate change.
"Both Northern and Southern countries have already seen the results of the world's unsustainable dirty energy policies", said Ms Jennifer Morgan, of the World Wildlife Fund. "We cannot afford to leave this meeting with another fossilised agreement."
The NGOs were able to claim a victory when delegates agreed to delete a clause in the draft which would have ceded effective control of environmental protection globally to the World Trade Organisation. But they lost out on other issues, including sanitation.
Mr John Gormley TD, who is at the summit on behalf of the Green Party, claimed that it was a washout. "There has been no recognition whatever that we cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet."