Climate Negotiators Hope U.N. Meeting In Panama Can Jump-Start Sputtering Talks

摘要

The main goal for upcoming U.N. climate change talks in Panama is to gain some momentum for the sputtering negotiating process before the year-end Conference of the Parties meeting in South Africa, according to delegates. Due to budgetary constraints, however, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change is sending only a skeleton staff to the Oct. 1-7 meeting in Panama City. In addition, many delegations reportedly will reply on diplomatic staff based in Panama or other Latin American nations to represent their interests. That may make it more difficult to achieve the progress delegates said is needed heading into the Nov. 28-Dec. 9 climate change summit in Durban . The Durban talks will seek to create a framework for a bridge agreement that can go into effect after the expiration of the 2008-2012 compliance period for the Kyoto Protocol while a more complete post-2012 agreement can be finalized and ratified.