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Cape Town - Addressing the challenge of climate change cannot wait and is a matter of life and death, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday at a session of the World Economic Forum on Africa.
"We have to come to an agreement during the 17th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) that works for every party", Zuma added. "It cannot wait."
South Africa will host the talks in Durban in December.
"The objective has always been to reach a legally binding agreement to accommodate all of us, to protect ourselves collectively. However, the question is whether we are ready for this," he said.
"The world's different regions have different views and interests, simply because they (are) affected differently by climate change. In some parts of the world, the effects of climate change are not so obvious, while in other parts it is a matter of life and death."
He said he hoped negotiators would be able to reach a deal at the talks.
"We have to come to an agreement during the 17th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) that works for every party", Zuma added. "It cannot wait."
South Africa will host the talks in Durban in December.
"The objective has always been to reach a legally binding agreement to accommodate all of us, to protect ourselves collectively. However, the question is whether we are ready for this," he said.
"The world's different regions have different views and interests, simply because they (are) affected differently by climate change. In some parts of the world, the effects of climate change are not so obvious, while in other parts it is a matter of life and death."
He said he hoped negotiators would be able to reach a deal at the talks.
