Countries around the world were today digesting the details of an international climate change "road map" that many environmental campaigners have criticised for lacking more ambitious goals.
The Labour Party environment spokeswoman Joanna Tuffey said the deal was a "mixed bag".
Delegates from more than 180 countries set the agenda for agreement on global emissions cuts after tense talks on the Indonesian island of Bali.
While the meeting was not intended to set specific figures, green campaigners were disappointed that more ambitious goals were not set for the upcoming negotiations on a deal to succeed the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012.
The deal followed emotionally-charged scenes and a dramatic 11th hour U-turn by the US. Washington officials were first booed after threatening to block the agreement, but then applauded after dropping opposition to poorer countries' calls for technological and financial help to combat emissions.
But campaigners remained critical of the US "wrecking policy".
Andy Atkins, of the British Christian aid group Tearfund said "stalling tactics" of the US and others meatnt eh Bali conference had "snatched mediocrity from the jaws of resounding success".
The EU conceded on one of the main sticking points - the inclusion in the road map of a reference to 25 per cent - 40 per cent emissions cuts by developed countries by 2020.
It had insisted the figures were in the document because they are based on the science of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and an ambitious road map was needed. But the US demanded - and won - their removal, claiming they could "prejudge" outcomes of negotiations. The
The EU accepted a deal in which the targets were missing, as were references to the need for emissions to peak within 10 to 15 years and for global greenhouse gas output to halve by 2050.
Ms Tuffey said: "While it is encouraging that an agreement was reached that all countries could subscribe to, it is disappointing that Ireland and the other EU countries backed down on their objective of securing specific commitments to cut global carbon emissions."
She said the Government must take radical action at home, such as improving public transport, to reduce carbon emissions rather than rely the purchase of carbon credits.
"Ireland will achieve its Kyoto targets mainly by using taxpayers' money to buy pieces of paper with no actual improvement our environment," Ms Tuffey said.