Climate row

Monday's talks failed to begin on time after delegates from China, India and other developing nations walked out of key negotiations.

African nations blamed the developed world for trying to undo the Kyoto Protocol. However, talks resumed later in the day.

The African-led move Monday was largely seen as a tactic to shift the agenda to the responsibilities of the industrialized countries and make emissions reductions the first item for discussion when world leaders begin arriving Tuesday.

Kamel Djemouai, an Algerian official who heads the African group, told a news conference developed countries were trying to "collapse" the 192-nation talks.

Plans by rich nations "mean that we are going to accept the death of the only one legally binding instrument that exists now," Djemouai said, referring to the Kyoto Protocol - the existing pact for curbing emissions of greenhouse gases.

But it does not include the United States, which says the Protocol is unfair as binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions do not apply to developing giants that are already huge emitters.

Row clouds summit

The United Nations said many nations backed the African view. "The vast majority of countries here want to see the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol," Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, said.

Activist groups said they fully backed the Africans' stance, arguing that a voluntarist, non-binding approach would deprive the poor of their sole international safety net.

"Africa has pulled the emergency cord to avoid a train crash at the end of the week," Jeremy Hobbs, executive director of Oxfam International, said. "Poor countries want to see an outcome which guarantees sharp emissions reductions. Yet rich countries are trying to delay discussions on the only mechanism we have to deliver this - the Kyoto Protocol."

Monday's session was to seek ways to end the impasse on a host of issues to clear the way for a sweeping new deal meant to limit global warming.

One of the sticking points on Monday was to what extent the various nations could be bound to their climate objectives. China, for example, wanted to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 45 percent, but rejected an international investigation of its commitments.

German minister wants US, China to do more

At a meeting of environment ministers, Germany's Norbert Roettgen called for increased pressure on the US and China.

"These two countries bear a special responsibility for climate protection," the environment minister said on Monday.

"Therefore they have to up the ante for their greenhouse gas reduction goals," he added.

The US and China together account for more than 40 percent of global CO2 emissions.

The minister defended the position of the European Union to wait on further concessions on climate change saying a premature increase in commitments was currently "not appropriate."

The EU has so far pledged to reduce its greenhouse gases by 2020 by 20 percent compared to 1990 levels. But it has indicated it would be willing to increase that figure to 30 percent, if other major economies want to make similar commitments.

sjt/EDP/AP/AFP/Reuters
Editor: Sonia Phalnikar