Climate talks could collapse, warns UN

The UN climate chief warned yesterday that a deadlock between the United States and the European Union over emissions cuts threatened to derail talks aimed at launching negotiations for a new global warming pact.
Washington has refused to accept language in a draft document suggesting that industrialized nations consider cutting emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020 during upcoming negotiations for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.
The European Union and other governments say the figures reflect the measures scientists say are necessary to rein in global warming. But the US and some others argue the inclusion of specific targets will limit the scope of future talks.
"I'm very concerned about the pace of things," said UN climate chief Yvo de Boer, as a two-week UN climate conference entered its final stretch. "If we don't get wording on the future, then the whole house of cards falls to pieces."
While it continues to reject inclusion of the numbers, the United States delegation hopes to reach an agreement that includes all parties and is both "environmentally effective" and "economically sustainable."
"I think those that suggest that we magically find an agreement on a metric when we are just starting ... that in itself is a blocking effort," said Jim Connaughton, the chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "We need to free up this conversation so we can have the deliberation to find as much consensus and collective engagement."
The conference, which has drawn delegates from 190 nations to Bali island, is aimed at launching negotiations for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. The meeting is scheduled to wrap up Friday.
Other sticking points include demands from developing countries that they be given assurances of financial assistance and access to expensive technology to help them transition to cleaner economies.
"At 12 noon tomorrow, time will be up," said de Boer. "We're in an all or nothing situation."
De Boer said he thought a revised draft, which changed the language on emissions cuts, would still include the US among countries that would consider more ambitious targets. But he added language in the draft, which was obtained by The Associated Press, is unclear.
"The way I read the particular paragraph ... is that it addresses all industrialised countries," he said. "My assessment is that it is not clearly crafted. We will have to wait and see where this goes."