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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Top UN climate official resigns | Top UN climate official resigns |
| (8 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." |