Haggling begins at UN climate talks

COPENHAGEN, Dec 8 (AFP) - Negotiators at the UN climate talks got down to the nitty-gritty Tuesday, seeking compromises on carbon emissions and funds for poor countries that could unlock a historic deal between world leaders.

Hopes of a breakthrough at the 12-day summit in Copenhagen were boosted late Monday after the US government announced it would start to regulate carbon dioxide as a dangerous pollutant.

"It will only help to persuade delegates and observers from other countries that the US is seriously using all the tools it has," David Doniger, policy director of the National Resources Defense Council's climate centre, said here.

While the US announcement provided welcome momentum on the first day of the talks, delegates said the next few days would see different countries lay out their positions.

"It's going to be an exercise in clearing the undergrowth over the next three or four days," a senior delegate from a developed country told AFP.

Towards the end of the week, former Danish climate minister Connie Hedegaard, chairing the December 7-18 conference of 194 nations, will carry out a "stock-taking" of positions, she said.

Hedegaard will then put together a draft blueprint for the conference's outcome, which will be put to environment ministers, meeting early next week, and then to more than 110 heads of state and government attending the climax.

Yahoo Climate Change Found a site that has content relevant to your story? Add the URL for the site's RSS feed, choose how many posts to display, then click save.

• US Republicans vow to rain on Copenhagen parade (AFP)AFP - Republican lawmakers critical of efforts to battle climate change said they would fly next week to the Copenhagen summit to...
• New List Highlights Animals Threatened by Climate Change (LiveScience.com)LiveScience.com - We already knew polar bears were in high water due to climate change, but who knew some types of dolphins, lemmings,...
• GE chief hopes Copenhagen leads to US clean energy (AP)AP - General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt said Tuesday he hopes the Copenhagen conference on climate change leads the United States to...
• Green odyssey takes cyclist from Australia to Copenhagen (AFP)AFP - After spending 16 months cycling 18,000 kilometres (11,180 miles) from Brisbane to Copenhagen, Kim Nguyen is taking part in the UN...
• Top 5 Issues at the Copenhagen Climate Conference (U.S. News & World Report)U.S. News & World Report - For the next two weeks, until December 18, officials from more than 190 countries will be gathering in...

visit this site

NEW DELHI (AFP) – India's environment minister faced criticism in parliament on Monday and dissent from negotiators after his offer to reduce the country's carbon footprint ahead of the Copenhagen climate change talks.

Jairam Ramesh announced last week that India would reduce its carbon intensity by 20 to 25 percent by 2020, compared to 2005 levels, in a move designed to show India's leadership and willingness to be flexible.

However, opposition lawmakers and commentators have painted Ramesh's offer as a poorly judged unilateral compromise that has been made without gaining anything from the developed countries which are blamed for climate change.