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| UN climate talks look set for deal, but time presses | UN climate talks look set for deal, but time presses |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News, Durban | By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News, Durban |
| Agreement on new measures to combat global warming appears within reach at the UN climate talks in South Africa. | Agreement on new measures to combat global warming appears within reach at the UN climate talks in South Africa. |
| Draft documents issued overnight appear to address the concerns of all parties. | Draft documents issued overnight appear to address the concerns of all parties. |
| If they are adopted when official negotiations re-commence, a process leading to a new global deal by 2015 will begin early next year. | If they are adopted when official negotiations re-commence, a process leading to a new global deal by 2015 will begin early next year. |
| But with talks already into an extra day, there were warnings that ministers may have to leave - or may choose to leave - before signing off the package. | But with talks already into an extra day, there were warnings that ministers may have to leave - or may choose to leave - before signing off the package. |
| "The concern now is that time is extremely short," warned EU climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard. | "The concern now is that time is extremely short," warned EU climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard. |
| The draft proposes that the "roadmap" towards a new deal encompassing all countries would begin in the New Year and complete by 2015 at the latest. | The draft proposes that the "roadmap" towards a new deal encompassing all countries would begin in the New Year and complete by 2015 at the latest. |
| That has been the central demand of the European Union and scores of countries vulnerable to climate impacts, including the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis) and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) bloc. | That has been the central demand of the European Union and scores of countries vulnerable to climate impacts, including the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis) and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) bloc. |
| They were also pressing for the new agreement to be legally-binding, but the draft stops short of specifying a legal form - a concession to the US, which Aosis is sure to challenge. | They were also pressing for the new agreement to be legally-binding, but the draft stops short of specifying a legal form - a concession to the US, which Aosis is sure to challenge. |
| Climate fund | Climate fund |
| If accepted, the agreement would also spell out - for the first time in the UN climate process - that there is a mismatch, a gap, between the pledges countries have already made on cutting emissions and the cuts necessary to keep global temperatures within 2C of pre-industrial levels. | If accepted, the agreement would also spell out - for the first time in the UN climate process - that there is a mismatch, a gap, between the pledges countries have already made on cutting emissions and the cuts necessary to keep global temperatures within 2C of pre-industrial levels. |
| Developing countries have insisted that EU nations must put their existing pledges on restricting emissions under the Kyoto Protocol; and this is also in the drafts. | Developing countries have insisted that EU nations must put their existing pledges on restricting emissions under the Kyoto Protocol; and this is also in the drafts. |
| Climate change glossary Select a term to learn more: Adaptation Action that helps cope with the effects of climate change - for example construction of barriers to protect against rising sea levels, or conversion to crops capable of surviving high temperatures and drought. Glossary in full | |
| That does not mean tougher cuts in Europe in the near future, but it would put EU pledges under an international legal framework. | That does not mean tougher cuts in Europe in the near future, but it would put EU pledges under an international legal framework. |
| Agreement on managing the Green Climate Fund, which will eventually gather and disburse finance amounting to $100bn per year to help poor countries develop cleanly and adapt to climate impacts, also appears within reach. | Agreement on managing the Green Climate Fund, which will eventually gather and disburse finance amounting to $100bn per year to help poor countries develop cleanly and adapt to climate impacts, also appears within reach. |
| Official negotiations are likely to run through the day, and major objections may yet be raised. | Official negotiations are likely to run through the day, and major objections may yet be raised. |
| There is also a fear that some ministers may decide it is convenient to leave without concluding negotiations. | There is also a fear that some ministers may decide it is convenient to leave without concluding negotiations. |
| Aosis and the LDCs have repeatedly accused India of being one of the hard-line blockers alongside the US and China. | Aosis and the LDCs have repeatedly accused India of being one of the hard-line blockers alongside the US and China. |
| But India's Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said this was not the case. | But India's Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said this was not the case. |
| She said her concern had been to understand what the EU "roadmap" to a new agreement involved. | She said her concern had been to understand what the EU "roadmap" to a new agreement involved. |
| "I don't find myself at odds [with Aosis] at all, I think I share their concerns - they want quick action, we want quick action," she told BBC News. | "I don't find myself at odds [with Aosis] at all, I think I share their concerns - they want quick action, we want quick action," she told BBC News. |
| "The fact of the matter is there should be very quick action, and my very quick action is that want a review of what Annex One countries (the traditional developed nations) have done and we want to know how far they've gone, and I'm willing to listen to what Aosis says." | "The fact of the matter is there should be very quick action, and my very quick action is that want a review of what Annex One countries (the traditional developed nations) have done and we want to know how far they've gone, and I'm willing to listen to what Aosis says." |
| But her German counterpart Norbert Roettgen said India was part of a blocking trinity. | But her German counterpart Norbert Roettgen said India was part of a blocking trinity. |
| "Only a very few countries stand in the way of an agreement here," he said. | "Only a very few countries stand in the way of an agreement here," he said. |
| "These are the main emitters, as been the case throughout the week - the US, China, and India." | "These are the main emitters, as been the case throughout the week - the US, China, and India." |
| Follow Richard on Twitter | Follow Richard on Twitter |