Doha UN Climate Talks to Conclude With Few Conclusions

Doha UN Climate Talks to Conclude With Few Conclusions

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UN climate talks in Doha are lurching to a close with key issues unresolved. There are outstanding disputes on finance, compensation for climate change damages and allocations of carbon permits – so-called hot air. Developing countries are furious at what they say is a lack of ambition among richer countries to tackle climate change. And the host nation Qatar has been criticized for poor leadership in letting the talks process drift.

As politicians delay, scientists continue to warn of ever-increasing greenhouse gases. But this conference – the 18th Conference of the Parties, or COP18 – will not prevent any CO2 being released into the atmosphere – that will be left to future meetings. Indeed if it does not tighten the rules on “hot air” this conference could result in an increase in emissions. The Doha talks represent the hinge point between the existing UN system – the 15-year-old Kyoto protocol – and a future system to be settled by 2015.