United Nations Radio

Negotiations for a global climate change treaty appear to be off to a good start.

Climate Change

Delegates from nearly 200 countries met this week in Bonn, Germany, for the latest round of talks on a new pact to replace the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions which expires in 2012.

Bonn is the home of the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), and spokesman John Hay noted the "very good progress" made this week.

" At this meeting very good progress was made on the negotiating text for an ambitious and effective Copenhagen International Climate Change deal. The text was put on the table it was accepted as a good starting point for negotiations. Countries began presenting their ideas about the text, adding ideas and it was really a very good start of this process."

Mr. Hay told UN Radio that objections had been raised by both developed and developing countries at the Bonn meeting, which ended on Friday. He said industrialized nations want to see more action from the developing world, while these countries felt the text "was perhaps skewed in favour of industrialized countries."

The negotiating process continues throughout year with sessions in Bonn, Bangkok and Barcelona before concluding in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December.

This is Dianne Penn for UN Radio.

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