UN says historic climate talks must deliver
December 7th 2009 The Copenhagen climate negotiations beginning today must yield an ambitious, sweeping agreement to capitalize on pledges by countries to fight global warming, UN climate chief Yvo de Boer said on Sunday.
A day before two weeks of climate talks in the Danish capital formally begin, the UN climate chief on Sunday said time was up to agree on the framework of a tougher climate deal after troubled negotiations have deepened a rift between rich and poor nations.
"I believe that negotiators now have the clearest signal ever from world leaders to draft a solid set of proposals to implement rapid action," Yvo de Boer told reporters, according to Reuters.
"Never in the 17 years of climate change negotiations have so many different nations made so many firm pledges together. Almost every day countries announce new targets or plans of action to cut emissions," he said.
In recent weeks, China, India, Indonesia and other countries have announced commitments to reduce emissions, raising hopes of success in Copenhagen.
South Africa on Sunday became the latest country to announce an emissions target. It said over the next 10 years it would reduce emissions by 34 percent from "business as usual," the level they would reach under ordinary circumstances, AP reports. By 2025 that figure would peak at 42 percent, effectively leveling off and thereafter begin to decline.
Japan said on Sunday it would stick with its target to cut emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, although the pledge depends on all major emitters, including China and the United States, being ambitious.
The closing stages of the UN conference will be attended by 105 world leaders who will try to seal a deal after years of bitter debates over how to divide up the burden of emissions curbs and who should pay.
Michael von Bülow 06/12/2009 More articles from WEE News Desk: | 
