Developing nations lauded

Developing nations won recognition from the UN climate chief for their contributions to global efforts to rein in greenhouse gas emissions and the "encouragement" on developed nations to do more.

"What we see happening is that all of those major developing nations are coming forward with exactly those commitments" on emission control, UNFCCC executive secretary Yvo de Boer told a press conference on Monday.

De Boer spoke highly of the efforts by China, which announced last month that it is going to reduce the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the GDP in 2020 by 40 percent to 45 percent against 2005 levels.

"If you look at the announcement that was made by China alone, that accounts for about 25 percent of the emission reductions that we need to see in order to avoid more than 2 (Celsius) degree temperature increase," he said.

Commitments by developing nations put "a huge amount of encouragement on industrialized nations to increase their level of ambition," he said.

Binding deal or political agreement?

Ahead of the Copenhagen conference, EU leaders have agreed that the Copenhagen process should lead to "a legally binding agreement" for the period starting January 1, 2013.

Swedish Environment Minister Andeas Carlgren, whose country holds the EU rotating presidency, said in a statement on Monday "the EU's aims are unchanged: reaching an ambitious and comprehensive agreement in Copenhagen is essential."

The EU has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 compared with the levels of 1990.

But the United States still balked at a binding deal in Copenhagen. A top US negotiator told a press conference on Monday that the Copenhagen conference should produce "a political agreement," not "a legal treaty."

US President Barack Obama, who had originally scheduled a trip to Copenhagen for the early stage of the conference, now will join more than 100 other world leaders for the later, more crucial stage of the conference next week.

The United States has proposed cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 against 2005 levels.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2009)