Talks resume on new climate treaty

By making environmental protection a moral imperative, Francis' intervention could spur the world's 1.2 billion Catholics to lobby policymakers on ecology issues.

By making environmental protection a moral imperative, Francis' intervention could spur the world's 1.2 billion Catholics to lobby policymakers on ecology issues.

Published May 15, 2012

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Stockholm - Long-running arguments over who needs to do what to stop the planet from overheating are back in focus this week as rich and poor countries meet in Bonn, Germany, to resume talks on a new global climate treaty.

It's the first major round of talks since countries agreed in Durban, South Africa, in December to come up with a binding agreement by 2015 that would take effect five years later.

In a webcast news conference on Monday, UN climate chief Christiana Figueres noted that the cuts in greenhouse emissions pledged so far fall short of what scientists say is needed to avoid serious effects of global warming.

The talks have been hampered by bickering over how to divide such cuts among developing nations, emerging economies and industrialised countries. - Sapa-AP

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