The UN's top climate official, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, has said time is running short to agree a new treaty on global warming amid deep divisions over key issues. He was speaking at last month's round of climate talks in Bonn where officials met for talks in an attempt to clear the way for the adoption of a new UN climate treaty in Copenhagen in December.
Mr de Boer said, "We've got a 200-plus-page text riddled with square brackets (where issues are unresolved), and it worries me to think how on earth we're going to whittle that down to meaningful language. You're looking at hugely divergent interests, very little time remaining, a complicated document on the table and still a lot of progress to be made on some very important issues like finance."
One of the toughest disputes is over which countries should commit to reducing their levels of greenhouse gases. The industrialised nations believe that big polluters in the developing world, notably China and India, must be included in any treaty commitments.
Jonathan Pershing, head of the US delegation, said that including India and China was part of the deal. He said, "We see success in Copenhagen as in no small measure a function of what all these major players do. Ourselves, Europe, China, India, Japan - it has to be the major emitters. If we think of a group of about 15 countries, they comprise on the order of 75% of global emissions. We can't solve this without them, you need them all and they all have to move immediately."
However, developing countries point out that most greenhouse gases come from the industrialised world and that societies such as India remain desperately poor. Senior Indian negotiator, Ambassador Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, said half the rural population in his country, "does not have a light bulb in its home or a gas ring. So to describe this country as a large emitter is absurd - there's no other word for it."
While few substantive discussions took place on the most difficult issues, Sweden's climate negotiator Anders Turesson, still believes it is possible to deliver a new treaty in Copenhagen, but conceded it will be difficult with the fundamental issue of who should do what remaining. Mr Turesson acknowledged that progress was too slow and that a dramatic change of gear will have to happen at the next round of talks in Bangkok later this month, if an agreement in Copenhagen is to be reached.
