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Top UN climate official resigns | Top UN climate official resigns |
(9 minutes later) | |
Yvo de Boer, the UN's top climate change official, says he will resign after nearly four years in the post. | Yvo de Boer, the UN's top climate change official, says he will resign after nearly four years in the post. |
His departure takes effect from 1 July, five months before 193 countries are due to reconvene in Mexico for another attempt at global deal on climate. | His departure takes effect from 1 July, five months before 193 countries are due to reconvene in Mexico for another attempt at global deal on climate. |
Nations failed to reach a binding deal at the Copenhagen meeting in December. | Nations failed to reach a binding deal at the Copenhagen meeting in December. |
Mr de Boer told the Associated Press news agency he was announcing his departure now so that a successor could be found before the Mexico meeting. | Mr de Boer told the Associated Press news agency he was announcing his departure now so that a successor could be found before the Mexico meeting. |
The former Dutch civil servant and climate negotiator was widely credited with raising the profile of climate change issues. | The former Dutch civil servant and climate negotiator was widely credited with raising the profile of climate change issues. |
But suspicions and distrust between developing and industrial countries barred the way to a binding accord at the UN's climate change summit in Copenhagen in December. | But suspicions and distrust between developing and industrial countries barred the way to a binding accord at the UN's climate change summit in Copenhagen in December. |
He said the failure to secure a treaty at Copenhagen was unrelated to his decision to quit, and that he had begun looking for a new job last year, before the summit. | He said the failure to secure a treaty at Copenhagen was unrelated to his decision to quit, and that he had begun looking for a new job last year, before the summit. |
Mr De Boer said he will be a consultant on climate and sustainability issues for KPMG, a global accounting firm, and will be associated with several universities. | Mr De Boer said he will be a consultant on climate and sustainability issues for KPMG, a global accounting firm, and will be associated with several universities. |
He told AP that he believed talks were "on track", although it was uncertain whether a full treaty could be finalised at the next high-level conference in November. | |
Mr de Boer said the accord reached in Copenhagen, brokered by US President Barack Obama, "was very significant". | |
But he acknowledged frustration that the deal fell short of the consensus and was merely "noted" rather than formally adopted by all countries. | |
"We were about an inch away from a formal agreement. It was basically in our grasp, but it didn't happen," he said, "So that was a pity." |