Economic Woes Will Likely Affect UN Climate Talks

Posted on: Tuesday, 25 November 2008, 13:29 CST The slow economy is sure to test the world's resolve to do more to fight global warming at 190-nation talks in Poland next week, but the election of Barack Obama is expected to be a positive. A thorough progress report for the two-year push to work out a sweeping new U.N. climate treaty by the end of 2009 will be the major topic of discussion during the December 1-12 meeting of 8,000 delegates in Poznan, Poland. Numerous countries have pledged to fight global warming despite fears of deep recession, but, so far, few have come up with deep cuts in emissions that the U.N. Climate Panel says are needed to avoid the worst of what warming has in store. Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, said he expects the economic crisis to have an effect on resolve. “Lower... [read full story]