Barcelona (Spain): African nations pushed
wealthy countries at UN climate talks on Wednesday to explain how
they intend to cut their greenhouse emissions under the
landmark global warming agreement being negotiated.
Yet as delegates from 192 nations retreated behind
closed doors in Spain, fears arose over just what will be
accomplished this year on fighting climate change.
Sweden's prime minister said achieving a legally
binding pact was probably impossible this year, while the
prime minister of Denmark declared that a failure to reach a
deal next month as planned would be "a massive
disappointment."
A flurry of diplomatic activity on a new climate deal
reflected high tensions worldwide as two years of negotiations
approached a climax at a major climate conference in
Copenhagen opening December 7.
The conference had been due to anoint an agreement to
regulate emissions of carbon and other greenhouse gases that
cause global warming, but that deal seemed increasingly
unlikely this year because the United States is not ready to
commit to a specific reduction in emissions until Congress
enacts a climate bill.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, November 04, 2009, 23:28