Developing nations opt to stage a walk out of climate talks, summit headed for collapse in Copenhage

Developing nations opt to stage a walk out of climate talks, summit headed for collapse in CopenhageCopenhagen, Dec. 14 : The Copenhagen climate summit was headed towards a collapse with G-77, the group representing 130 developing countries, deciding to stage a walk out of negotiations en masse here on Monday.

The G-77 opted for a walk out due to its concerned that the existing Kyoto protocol would be abandoned.

Australia''s Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said that organisers were trying to fix the problem and coax back the developing world.

Many countries at the UN climate summit want a brand new treaty to tackle climate change, but the developing world wants the Kyoto protocol to continue as well.

The protocol forces rich countries to reduce or limit their greenhouse gas emissions.

Senator Wong said the walkout was "most unfortunate''''.

"It is regrettable that we appear to have reached a gridlock on process,'''' news. com. au quoted Wong as saying.

''''(This) is not a time to play procedural games,'''' Wong added.

Senator Wong said she and others were working hard to get the problem resolved, but Wong didn't not give any indication of when that might happen.

She did not support the developing countries'' focus on the need to commit now to a future for the Kyoto protocol.

"An extension only of the Kyoto Protocol is not going to achieve the environmental outcome the world needs,'''' Senator Wong said.

It is understood that the developing countries walked out of the working groups at the summit today, and have refused to take part in special meetings which have been organised to tackle the biggest obstacles in the negotiations. A plenary session, for all countries, has not started as planned because of the breakdown.

Australia does not want the Kyoto Protocol to be the only vehicle to tackle climate change because it does not include the US, nor major developing countries like China and India, the news. com. au report stated.

Meanwhile, the Climate Change summit here seemed headed for a collapse, with developing countries rallying around Africa, who decided to pull out of the talks on Monday blaming the developed countries for flouting the Kyoto protocol.

Hardening its stand just like other developing nations who have decided to rally behind Africa, which pulled out of the talks today, India has also refused to compromise.

A Times Now report quoted Indian Environment minister Jairam Ramesh saying: "India won't compromise on UNFCC, Kyoto protocol, and Ball plan."

One of the two negotiating tracks at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen broke up in drama and confusion today when the Africa group of countries followed by other developing countries accused the chair of the conference of trying to "kill" the Kyoto protocol. They were also objecting to what they characterised as efforts to sideline the poorest countries. The crisis was then exacerbated after Australia said that rich countries should suspend talks about emission cuts, stated a Guardian report on Monday.

The UN and the chair of the conference, Denmark, tried hurriedly to repair the rifts as ministers began to arrive in Copenhagen for the high level political section of the talks. But after the talks were suspended for two hours, observers said that it looked increasingly unlikely that an ambitious deal would now be negotiated by Friday, the report further stated. (ANI)