UN talks in Ghana continue trudge to climate deal

2602, 25/08/08

The latest round of UN climate talks opened in Accra, Ghana, on Thursday.  Delegates are discussing emission reductions, sectoral approaches to combating climate change and the role of deforestation.  The meeting is the third and final UN meeting this year before high-level talks begin in Pozna, Poland, in December (EED 07/04/08 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/25171 and EED 13/06/08 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/25632).  It ends on Wednesday.

The meeting aims to "clarify the tools and rules available to industrialised countries to reach emission reduction targets beyond 2012".  This part of the negotiations must be concluded before the debate can turn to ranges of emission reduction targets for developed countries in December, the UN says.

Workshops are being held on sectoral approaches and on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. For the first time, there will also be a joint discussion on both the financing and the technology needed to mitigate and adapt to climate change, the UN says.

Ghanaian president John Agyekum Kufuor opened the talks by describing the impact of climate change on his country and warning that time for action is running out. Observers do not expect any major breakthroughs at the event, however.

Follow-up: See UNFCCC opening press release

http://unfccc.int/files/press/news_room/press_releases_and_advisories/application/pdf/opening_press_release_accra.pdf,

WWF press release

http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/news/index.cfm?uNewsID=143882

and backgrounder http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/news/index.cfm?uNewsID=143743.

ENDS Europe Daily is Europe's leading environmental news service. A free trial is available by clicking on the following link:http://www.endseuropedaily.com/web/helcom.