Climate negotiators from across the globe continue to be divided on dealing with the challenge of climate change.Despite a fresh draft and calls by the US president and the British Prime Minister and others they scramble to break through the disputes between the industrialised and developing nations.The issues of contention remain emission targets, financial help to developing countries, measurement and monitoring of the emissions.The Environment minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh reiterated there are differences between nations, which need be bridged if any concrete progress has to be achieved.He asserted that the talks in Copenhagen are as much about easing poverty in India as preventing the world from overheating. India and China are seeking at least 200 billion dollars a year to help developing countries.With just two days left for the summit meeting, the Heads of states and governments have begun to arrive at Copenhagen.The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is expected to arrive on Thursday. The US President and the Chinese Premier are also expected to reach Danish capital to join the deliberations.British Prime Minister Gordown Brown who is in Copenhagen warned that ending with out deal is dangerous as the future of humanity is at stake.Ahead of his visit the US President Mr. Barack Obama has expressed confidence of reaching a deal in the summit.Meanwhile, serious differences have emerged between India and Australia over the direction of talks at the Conference with New Delhi making a strong pitch for extending the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 and Canberra wanting obligations on emerging economies as well.AIR correspondent Vijay Raina covering the conference reports from Copenhagen that a large number of protesters staged a demonstration in very cold weather out side the Bela Centre the venue of the UN Conference Wednesday morning.They protested against what they called the exclusionary tactics of the negotiators. About hundred among them have been arrested.Their objective was to gain access to the centre to put forward their point of view on dealing with the challenge of the climate change as the environment ministers and the negotiators have not been successful in finalising a deal to tackle the challenge of climate change.
News On AIR | December 16, 2009 2:19 PM
Climate negotiators differ on procedure to deal with ‘challenge of climate change’