COP President: Progress
has been made
Having
reached its halfway point, the UN climate conference in
Copenhagen has advanced on texts on green technology transfer
to developing countries and on the mechanisms to promote
the use of forests to assimilate emissions, say delegates.
AP/Marianne Bom - 12/12/2009 - The President of the UN climate
conference, Connie Hedegaard (photo above), made a midway
status on the conference on Saturday, saying that "we
have made considerable progress over the course of the first
week".
According
to delegates, negotiators have advanced on texts on how
to supply new green technologies – like wind and solar
power – to developing nations. Progress has also been
made in promoting use of forests to soak up carbon dioxide,
Reuters reports.
But
there are still deep splits on issues such as raising funds
for developing countries and sharing out the burden of greenhouse
gas emissions curbs.
On
Saturday, industrial countries criticized a draft climate
agreement, submitted Friday, for not making stronger demands
on major developing countries.
It
became clear that initial reactions to the negotiating draft
had underscored the split between the US-led wealthy countries
and countries still struggling to overcome poverty and catch
up with the modern world.
US
delegate Jonathan Pershing said the draft failed to address
the contentious issue of curbing carbon emissions by emerging
economies.
"The
current draft didn't work in terms of where it is headed,"
Pershing said in the plenary, supported by the European
Union, Japan and Norway.
Environment
ministers started arriving in the Danish capital Saturday
for informal talks before world leaders join the summit
at the end of the coming week.
Do UNFCCC
