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UP FRONTSaturday 12 December 2015
Rift emerges between rich nations, others at climate talks
KARL RITTER
ANGELA CHARLTON
Associated Press
LE BOURGET, France (AP) —
With only hours left to pro-
duce a global climate ac-
cord, rifts emerged Friday
between Western coun-
tries and China and its al-
lies over who should bear
the most burden in reduc-
ing emissions and helping
vulnerable nations cope
with the rising seas and ex-
treme weather that comes
with global warming.
The issue has dogged cli-
mate negotiations for years
and diplomats at the talks
now underway outside
Paris are hoping it won’t
threaten a long-awaited
deal. U.N. Secretary-Gen-
eral Ban Ki-Moon, U.S. Sec-
retary of State John Kerry
and other top officials shut-
tled among high-stakes
meetings all day Friday in
hopes of coming to a final
agreement on Saturday.
But China’s deputy chief
negotiator stood firm Friday
on his nation’s demand
that rich countries should
assume most responsibility
for the costs and argued
against an agreement that
sets too-tough goals for
weaning the world off us-
ing oil, gas and coal.
The talks, originally sched-
uled to end Friday,
dragged into an extra day
as the French hosts said
they needed more time to
overcome disputes.
Negotiators from more
Kerry to meet with Putin on Syria, Ukraine next week
MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer
LE BOURGET, France (AP) —
U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry will travel to Moscow
next week for talks with
Russian President Vladimir
Putin on two of the most
vexing crises in U.S.-Russian
relations: Syria’s civil war
and Ukraine’s ongoing in-
stability. Kerry will travel to alition against the Islamic
Moscow after attending a
high-level meeting with Eu-
ropean and Arab foreign
ministers on Dec. 14 in Paris,
the State Department said
on Friday. Kerry will see Pu-
tin and Foreign Minister Ser-
gey Lavrov the next day in
the Russian capital.

than 190 countries are aim- core of our concern for the joined a coalition of West- “hopeful” for an accord
ing to create something Paris agreement.” He said ern countries and some and has been working be-
that’s never been done he wants different rules for developing ones push- hind the scenes to reach
before: an agreement different countries “clearly ing for a “high-ambition” compromises.
for all countries to reduce stipulated” in the global accord. Liu dismissed the The two weeks of talks are
the culmination of years of
Participants attend a panel entitle ‘Science on a Sphere Presentation’ at the COP21, United U.N.-led efforts to create
a long-term climate deal.
Nations Climate Change Conference, in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) U.N. climate conferences
often run past their dead-
man-made carbon emis- warming pact, and insisted high-ambition coalition as lines, given the complex-
ity and sensitivity of each
sions and cooperate in the demand is “quite legiti- a “performance.” word in an international
agreement and the con-
adapting to rising seas and mate.” Ban Ki-moon said Friday sequences for national
economies.
fiercer weather caused by Liu also argued against that negotiators are still in Analysts said the delay un-
til Saturday was not neces-
human activity. The U.S. sharply limiting the num- disagreement over how sarily a bad sign.
“This needs consensus,”
and European countries ber of degrees the planet far-reaching the accord said Michael Jacobs, an
economist with the New
want to move away from warms this century, be- should be and who should Climate Economy project,
speaking to reporters out-
so-called “differentiation” cause that would involve pay for damages wrought side Paris. “There’s a lot of
negotiating to do.”
among economies and huge lifestyle and eco- by global warming. Ban Sam Barratt of advocacy
group Avaaz, added: “We
want big emerging coun- nomic changes. said he’s “convinced and would rather they take
their time and were patient
tries like China and India to “We need heating. We confident” that negotia- with the right deal than
rush it and get a break-
pitch in more in a final cli- need air conditioning. You tors will reach an “ambi- down. ... Getting 200 coun-
tries to agree on anything
mate deal. need to drive your car,” he tious, strong accord.” is tough. Getting them to
agree on the future of the
But Liu Zhenmin, deputy said. Kerry, on his fifth straight planet and a deal on cli-
mate change is probably
chief of the Chinese del- Divisions surfaced Friday day in France trying to iron one of the toughest pieces
of negotiation they’ll ever
egation, told reporters Fri- among big developing out differences with devel- get involved in.”
This accord is the first time
day that issue is “at the countries, too, as Brazil oping countries, said he’s all countries are expected
to pitch in — the previous
emissions treaty, the 1997
Kyoto Protocol, only in-
cluded rich countries.q

The discussions come Bashar Assad’s control of this week that he wanted ed front to negotiate with
amid severely strained ties the country. The U.S. and to visit Moscow soon be- Assad. But the deal that
between the Cold War its allies say Assad needs cause Russia was “playing rival factions reached in
foes, but there are also to leave power at some a constructive and impor- Saudi Arabia on Thursday
some signs of possible im- point for Syria’s deadly vio- tant role” in trying to find a still has “kinks” that need to
provement. Washington lence to end. Despite their diplomatic process to halt be worked out to make ne-
and Moscow continue to disagreements, Kerry and the Syrian conflict. It would gotiations possible, he said.
clash over their uncoor- Lavrov have been work- be “irresponsible” not to These include the com-
dinated military efforts in ing together to start peace test a political solution, he mitment of a key Saudi-
Syria, where the U.S. says talks between Assad’s gov- said, and that requires Rus- backed militant group,
it is leading a broad co- ernment and Syrian op- sia because of its influence which pulled out of the
position representatives, in the Arab country. Saudi meeting at one point
State group. Russia says hopefully by next month. Kerry is hoping the U.N. will in protest. The group, Ahrar
its airstrikes since late Sep- The State Department endorse his plan for Syria al-Sham, claimed too much
tember have targeted the said talks in Moscow will negotiations on Dec. 18, weight was being given to
same foe, but Western cover “ongoing efforts to and needs Russian support factions close to the Syrian
governments claim mostly achieve a political transi- for that step. government. U.S. officials
moderate rebels are be- tion in Syria and related Earlier Friday, Kerry said he stressed that representa-
ing hit and that Moscow is efforts to degrade and was pleased with progress tives of the ultraconserva-
primarily concerned with destroy” the Islamic State Syrian opposition groups tive group approved the
shoring up Syrian President militants. Kerry said earlier have made to form a unit- document nevertheless.q