Climate Talks Stalled

A group of 77 developing nations unexpectedly halted climate talks on Monday after accusing the U.S. and other industrialized nations of forsaking the Kyoto Protocol, the binding climate agreement currently in effect. The main difference between Kyoto and the agreement currently being developed in Copenhagen is that the new agreement would put binding emissions limits on developing countries, but the G-77, led by a bloc of African countries, says they walked because they fear the new pact will pose less stringent requirements for industrialized countries than those currently in place. As a member of Mali's delegation put it, "The killing of the Kyoto Protocol, I can say, will mean the killing of Africa." Danish officials have temporarily suspended the talks. Ministers and negotiators will doubtless scramble to get the G-77 back to the table before a horde of world leaders—including Gordon Brown and Barack Obama—descend on Copenhagen later this week.