Seven years after he lost the U.S. election, Al Gore has more influence on U.S. global warming policy than the man who defeated him, President George W. Bush.

As talks on a new world emissions treaty open today on the Indonesian island of Bali, companies and investors such as General Electric Co., Chevron Corp. and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. are backing Gore's push for global limits on climate- changing carbon emissions, a strategy Bush opposes.

A new accord limiting global warming, to be in place by 2012, will affect the way $11.6 trillion are spent on new power generation, the International Energy Agency says. ``Clean'' energy may be the ``biggest business opportunity there's ever been,'' according to billionaire Ted Turner. Business leaders including GE's Jeffrey Immelt say they need clarity on the cost of carbon emissions to steer ``green'' investment decisions.

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