Time running out for climate deal

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Delegates to the U.N. World Climate Change conference have met through the night in a last-ditch effort to agree a deal on practical measures to tackle global warming.

The marathon session came after the meeting, in The Hague, failed to agree a compromise deal on Friday. The two-week summit is due to close on Saturday afternoon.

Environment ministers from dozens of countries are seeking a workable deal on practical steps to reduce greenhouse emissions -- but U.N. officials said the more modest goal was now only a broad political accord.

They said the agreement would set out a joint statement of principles, including some numbers and specifics.

Such an outcome would fall below the conference's aim of making firm pledges based on broad agreements made at the previous climate conference three years ago in Kyoto, Japan.

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The current talks among 180 countries were hoped to set down a legally-binding technical pact detailing concrete measures by developed countries to reduce emissions.

Prior to the all-night sitting, UK environment minister Michael Meacher said he believed an agreement was "palpable and universal."

"It's going to be hard-headed, tough negotiations. It's the only way to knock heads together," Meacher said.

But U.N. Spokesman Michael Williams said: "The way forward now, given the difficulties, is to have a broad political agreement."

Technical details would be worked out in the next few months, with further talks due in Germany next year, he said.

However, Michael Grubb, Professor of Energy Policy and Climate Change at London's Imperial College, said the countries would have enough to work on.

He added: "It will be a detailed political statement that would be sufficiently detailed to attach to the Kyoto protocol to show how to implement the accord and give it practical effect."

The talks fell down over a proposed emergency compromise agreement put forward by conference chairman Jan Pronk.

European Union delegates said Pronk's compromise of "tolerating three percent across the board increase in emissions by 2010" was bad for the environment, allowing countries too much leeway to avoid honouring greenhouse gas reductions pledged at Kyoto.

The conference is trying to agree steps to implement a 1997 pact agreed in Kyoto that called for a five percent average cut in developed nations' 1990 levels of emissions by 2010.

French Environment Minister Dominique Voynet said the plan would actually permit greenhouse gas emissions to increase, instead of forcing them to decline.

The United States, which had been seen as the main beneficiary of the proposal issued a statement saying it considered the plan "unacceptably unbalanced."

But both sides pledged their commitment to reach a deal.

One of the main stumbling blocks to an agreement was the U.S.' call that nations which plant trees, but do not cut down on the burning of fossil fuels be awarded credits.

Agriculture and forests absorb the key greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and as a result offset some of the emissions that scientists say are warming the atmosphere, the U.S. delegates said.

Opponents said such programmes, dubbed "carbon sinks," give credit for doing nothing.

Jennifer Morgan of the World Wildlife Fund, said: "We believe this is a win for the United States."

German environment minister Juergen Trittin said a successful conference was needed but the "benchmark for us is environmental integrity."

Carbon dioxide and other gases that store heat in the atmosphere are primarily produced by cars, power plants and factories.

Scientists believe a slight rise in earth's average temperature is already thawing polar ice caps, flooding low-lying islands in the sea and may be linked to hurricanes, decertification, and other extreme weather events.

"Hard decisions need to be taken," said U.N. scientist Robert Watson. "No one said this was going to be easy. Everyone will lose relative to their original position."

"The real negotiations are only just starting now," an EU official said. "Thus far it's been posturing. There could still be everything to play for."

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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