United Nations Radio

The latest round of United Nations-backed negotiations on climate started in Poznan, Poland, today.

More than 10,000 participants representing governments, research institutions, environmental organizations as well as business and industry are attending the two-week session.

They are discussing the first draft of a document to serve as the basis for a new global climate change deal, to be reached by the end of next year.

The current Kyoto Protocol on climate change expires in 2012.

At today's opening session, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Yvo de Boer, said the meeting also needs to achieve progress on issues which are important in the short run.

These issues include adaptation, finance, technology and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe has more.

"Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chairman Rajendra Pachauri told the Conference that he sensed that climate change was "still seen as distant and undefined". He stressed that there was a wealth of scientific information to serve as a basis for action. He said emissions must start declining by 2015 if the world is to embark on a course that will limit climate change."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to attend the talks next week.

United Nations Radio, Dianne Penn

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