forrest
12-10-2008, 05:35 AM
POZNAN, Poland (Reuters) - Some rich countries are planning a "great escape" from promises to fight climate change as recession bites and a deadline nears to agree a new treaty, China's climate ambassador Yu Qingtai told Reuters on Wednesday.
"The only conclusion many people like me are drawing is that some (rich) countries are preparing for the great escape from Copenhagen," Yu said in an interview. His comments underlined concerns that U.N.-led climate global negotiations in Poznan, Poland, are treading water as many delegates and observers question the chance of agreeing a comprehensive treaty as planned in Copenhagen next year.
Developing countries complain that rich states, most to blame for global warming, cannot even agree a range of emissions cuts nor specific funding to help the South to prepare for climate change, as promised under earlier conventions.
Representatives from some 190 countries are meeting in Poland to push talks aimed at clinching agreement on a new climate pact by the end of next year, to replace the Kyoto Protocol after 2012.
It was increasingly doubtful that agreement was achievable next December as a timeline narrowed toward that meeting, Yu said. Most agreement had to be reached by June because of U.N. rules demanding a further six months to fine-tune, he added.
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSTRE4B92UV20081210
"The only conclusion many people like me are drawing is that some (rich) countries are preparing for the great escape from Copenhagen," Yu said in an interview. His comments underlined concerns that U.N.-led climate global negotiations in Poznan, Poland, are treading water as many delegates and observers question the chance of agreeing a comprehensive treaty as planned in Copenhagen next year.
Developing countries complain that rich states, most to blame for global warming, cannot even agree a range of emissions cuts nor specific funding to help the South to prepare for climate change, as promised under earlier conventions.
Representatives from some 190 countries are meeting in Poland to push talks aimed at clinching agreement on a new climate pact by the end of next year, to replace the Kyoto Protocol after 2012.
It was increasingly doubtful that agreement was achievable next December as a timeline narrowed toward that meeting, Yu said. Most agreement had to be reached by June because of U.N. rules demanding a further six months to fine-tune, he added.
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSTRE4B92UV20081210