LIMA, Peru, December 14, 2014: The latest round of United Nations climate talks ended in the early hours of Sunday morning — nearly 33 hours later than scheduled — with a deal that barely kept hopes for a meaningful global agreement next year.
The conference, which started on Dec. 1., had two main goals: to agree to a series of measures aimed at reducing the greenhouse gases scientists say cause climate change in the near term, and to pave the way for an agreement that will include action from all countries by the end of the next edition of the talks, a year from now in Paris.
The second part fell short despite an impassioned plea from Todd Stern, the U.S. climate change special envoy, who called on participants to approve what he said was a less than perfect text in order to foster progress in 2015.
“We don’t have time for more lengthy negotiations,” Stern said. “I believe we will live to regret it if we allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good.”
The Lima agreement was adopted hours after a previous draft was rejected by developing countries who accused rich nations of shirking their responsibilities to fight global warming and pay for its impacts.
Source US todayÂ
