After overnight talks, some 70 ministers agreed to encourage rich nations to fund emissions cuts in Africa, but remained deadlocked on the broader extension of the UN’s Kyoto Protocol for fighting warming beyond 2012. “It’s not a very strong statement that encourages (rich) countries — who are willing to do so — to consider initiatives including financial support,” said Janos Pasztor, the UN climate body’s coordinator of such funding, said of the overnight deal. “Some will do it and some won’t.” Under Kyoto rich states have contributed over $5 billion (2.6 billion pounds) to clean energy projects in developing countries over 2 years. The money has largely bypassed Africa, and the new initiative is meant to cut investor risk by funding startup costs. But talks had ground to a halt on setting out steps to extend the Kyoto Protocol, which some developed countries want linked to a review of the pact — too slow for some African countries. A new proposal for the review, reached on Friday, could break the deadlock, said the executive director of the UN’s climate change body, Yvo de Boer, on Friday.

—Reuters