FACTBOX-What's left to agree in U.N. climate talks
Nov 6 (Reuters) - More than 190 nations will meet in Copenhagen on Dec. 7-18 aiming to agree a new U.N. climate pact. Following are faultlines still to be overcome:
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
CUTS BY RICH NATIONS
2020 - Developing nations such as China and India want the rich to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. Offers on the table so far average between 11 and 15 percent. The United Nations wants firm 2020 offers from every developed country in Copenhagen, including the United States.
2050 - Rich nations including the Group of Eight favour agreeing a global goal of halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Some developing nations including China and India have rejected such a target, unless the rich lay out far deeper mid-term cuts.
TEMPERATURES - Some industrialised countries want the conference to accept an aspirational goal of limiting global warming to a maximum of 2 Celsius over pre-industrial times.
CURBS BY DEVELOPING STATES
Rich countries in turn want the poor to take actions to slow the rise of their emissions by 2020, such as more efficient use of energy or curbs on smokestack industries. The European Union wants developing countries to slow the rise of their emissions by 15-30 percent below projected growth by 2020.
The United States complains that developing countries are not prepared to have their planned actions reviewed by international inspectors.
FINANCE
Developing nations have said the rich should devote far more money to helping them combat climate change and adapt to shifts such as more droughts, floods and rising seas. African nations, for instance, say $267 billion a year will be needed from 2020.
The European Union has said that developing nations will need 100 billion euros a year from 2020. About 22-50 billion euros of the total will come from the public purse worldwide and the EU will provide a fair share. Many other developed nations have not made such clear offers.
The United Nations wants $10 billion a year on the table in Copenhagen to help kick-start a deal. Developed nations have yet to come up with cash.
OVERSEEING FUNDS
Delegates are considering various mechanisms to oversee funds and balance the interests of donors and recipients. Developed countries favour some World Bank supervision, and developing nations prefer the U.N. climate secretariat.
THE KYOTO PROTOCOL
Many developed nations suggest that the existing Kyoto Protocol, which binds all industrialised nations except the United States to curb emissions by 2012, could be merged with a parallel track trying to agree obligations for all nations. Developing nations say a merger would risk "killing" Kyoto since many of them do not want obligations on the same level as those imposed on developed nations.
KYOTO
Other gaps remaining in talks to extend the Kyoto Protocol:
* A base year against which to compare emissions cuts in 2020; countries have proposed these base years -- 1990, 2000, 2005 and 2006. * Length of the next period of the Kyoto Protocol after the present 2008-2012 period; countries have proposed: 2013-2017; 2013-2020; and 2013-2017 followed by 2018-2022.
* How to account for forests, which suck carbon from the air; depending on how to include forests, greenhouse gas emissions targets will look completely different.
* What new gases to include, in addition to the six greenhouse gases currently included in the Kyoto Protocol.
* Whether to increase a levy on carbon markets, to raise funds to pay for adaptation to climate change in developing countries.
(Compiled by Alister Doyle and Gerard Wynn; editing by Tim Pearce)
-- For Reuters latest environment blogs click on: blogs.reuters.com/environment/
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
CUTS BY RICH NATIONS
2020 - Developing nations such as China and India want the rich to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. Offers on the table so far average between 11 and 15 percent. The United Nations wants firm 2020 offers from every developed country in Copenhagen, including the United States.
2050 - Rich nations including the Group of Eight favour agreeing a global goal of halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Some developing nations including China and India have rejected such a target, unless the rich lay out far deeper mid-term cuts.
TEMPERATURES - Some industrialised countries want the conference to accept an aspirational goal of limiting global warming to a maximum of 2 Celsius over pre-industrial times.
CURBS BY DEVELOPING STATES
Rich countries in turn want the poor to take actions to slow the rise of their emissions by 2020, such as more efficient use of energy or curbs on smokestack industries. The European Union wants developing countries to slow the rise of their emissions by 15-30 percent below projected growth by 2020.
The United States complains that developing countries are not prepared to have their planned actions reviewed by international inspectors.
FINANCE
Developing nations have said the rich should devote far more money to helping them combat climate change and adapt to shifts such as more droughts, floods and rising seas. African nations, for instance, say $267 billion a year will be needed from 2020.
The European Union has said that developing nations will need 100 billion euros a year from 2020. About 22-50 billion euros of the total will come from the public purse worldwide and the EU will provide a fair share. Many other developed nations have not made such clear offers.
The United Nations wants $10 billion a year on the table in Copenhagen to help kick-start a deal. Developed nations have yet to come up with cash.
OVERSEEING FUNDS
Delegates are considering various mechanisms to oversee funds and balance the interests of donors and recipients. Developed countries favour some World Bank supervision, and developing nations prefer the U.N. climate secretariat.
THE KYOTO PROTOCOL
Many developed nations suggest that the existing Kyoto Protocol, which binds all industrialised nations except the United States to curb emissions by 2012, could be merged with a parallel track trying to agree obligations for all nations. Developing nations say a merger would risk "killing" Kyoto since many of them do not want obligations on the same level as those imposed on developed nations.
KYOTO
Other gaps remaining in talks to extend the Kyoto Protocol:
* A base year against which to compare emissions cuts in 2020; countries have proposed these base years -- 1990, 2000, 2005 and 2006. * Length of the next period of the Kyoto Protocol after the present 2008-2012 period; countries have proposed: 2013-2017; 2013-2020; and 2013-2017 followed by 2018-2022.
* How to account for forests, which suck carbon from the air; depending on how to include forests, greenhouse gas emissions targets will look completely different.
* What new gases to include, in addition to the six greenhouse gases currently included in the Kyoto Protocol.
* Whether to increase a levy on carbon markets, to raise funds to pay for adaptation to climate change in developing countries.
(Compiled by Alister Doyle and Gerard Wynn; editing by Tim Pearce)
-- For Reuters latest environment blogs click on: blogs.reuters.com/environment/
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