Crucial climate talks to decide the future of the Kyoto Protocol and a regime that will follow it entered the final day today though there were little signs that a worthwhile deal was anywhere on the cards.
Negotiators worked overnight to prepare drafts that could find overall acceptance as parties on the opposing sides of the viewpoint spectrum bickered over the language that will go into the final text and whether issues concerning them will find a mention.
Rich nations led by the US have tried to fend off efforts to ask them to give quantitative financial commitments to fund the poor countries efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as fight the rapidly visible impacts of climate change.
Climate financing, by far, has turned out to be one of the main sticking point at this COP (Conference of the Parties) as poor nations complain that large promises of money that made some of the last few climate talks workable have not materialised.
Another point of discord has been the unwillingness of the developed countries to announce any new emission reduction targets, even as they negotiate a future post 2020 deal that will bring all major polluters including India and China under some reduction obligations.
While breaking the 'firewall' between the developed and developing countries on the issue of obligations of carbon emission reduction has been the main thrust of the US and other rich nations, the poorer countries have been struggling to push their rich counterparts to do their desired part in cutting greenhouse gases and providing climate finance before entering into a post Kyoto regime.
