Copenhagen - The UN climate summit hit major turbulence on Monday when
developing nations walked out of key negotiations and China accused
the West of trickery, as the spectre of failure loomed heavily over
Copenhagen.
As campaigners warned negotiators had five days to avert climate
chaos, ministers acknowledged they had to start making giant
strides before the arrival of 120 heads of state for the summit's
climax on Friday.
Sources said the developing countries walked out of working
groups at the start of the second week of negotiations here,
angered that in their view the conference was weakening in support
for the Kyoto Protocol, the core emissions-curbing treaty.
"They have walked out, I am advised, of the working groups," one
Western minister told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"This is salvageable," the minister added. "It depends if people
want to be constructive."
The move was unleashed by African countries, with the support of
the G77 group of developing countries.
They refused to continue negotiations unless talks on a second
commitment period to the Kyoto Protocol were given priority over
broader discussions on a "long-term vision" for cooperative action
on climate change.
Protocol is 'unfair'
The Kyoto Protocol ties the rich countries - but not developing
countries - that have ratified it to binding emissions curbs.
It does not include the United States, which says the Protocol
is unfair as the binding targets do not apply to developing giants
that are already huge emitters of greenhouse gases. A first round
of pledges under Kyoto expires at the end of 2012, and poorer
nations are seeking a seven-year commitment period.
"Africa has pulled the emergency cord to avoid a train crash at
the end of the week," said Jeremy Hobbs, executive director of
Oxfam International.
The walkout delivered another blow to the summit which has
already been marred by spats between China and the United States.
A top Western negotiator, speaking on condition of anonymity,
said a round-table session of around 50 environment ministers
Sunday had been soured by "growing tensions between the Americans
and Chinese".
"At the back of everyone's mind is the fear of a repeat of the
awful scenario in The Hague," she told AFP, referring to a climate
conference in 2000 on completing the rulebook for Kyoto that broke
up angrily without agreement.
In an apparent concession, China said it might not take a share
of any Western funding for emerging nations to fight climate
change.
But in a pointer to the tensions backstage, Vice Foreign
Minister He Yafei said China would not be the fall guy if there
were a fiasco.
"I know people will say if there is no deal that China is to
blame. This is a trick played by the developed countries. They have
to look at their own position and can't use China as an excuse," he
told the Financial Times.
Britain's climate minister, Ed Miliband, urged negotiators to
work faster to break the deadlock.
- AFP