The Poznan meet is a stepping stone in the process to create a global agreement on action against climate change after 2012, when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end. At the meet in Indonesia last year, delegates from about 190 countries framed the Bali Road Map, committing themselves to produce a final agreement at Copenhagen 2009. That agreement would deal with efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation steps to help communities cope with the impact of climate change, initiatives to develop and implement green technologies and financing to fund all these efforts.

Mr. de Boer says the final agreement may not be very detailed as too many issues remain unresolved. “We’re working under a very tight timeline,” he said. “I don’t think that [considering] where we are now that we are going to be able to produce a fully elaborate and comprehensive agreement in Copenhagen ... My sense is that we should be careful not to reach too far and not achieve anything.” He believes that getting key political agreement on the important issues may be more important than working out all the details.

“Stick to principles”

Environment Secretary Vijay Sharma, who heads the Indian delegation here, says there will be sufficient time to craft a final agreement if only countries stick to the Convention principles. “If any party wants to tinker with the established principles, such as the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, which mandates emission cuts only for developed nations, then of course this would handicap the negotiations and detract from the efficiency, and lose unnecessary time,” he said.

Developed nations which are bringing up the concept of “large developing economies,” implying that nations such as India and China should also take on mitigation targets, were to blame for the delays, Mr. Sharma said.

Mr. de Boer insisted that firm numerical emission reduction targets for the developed world must be settled in Copenhagen, but added that developing nations could not be left out entirely. “We do have to have clarity, numbers on the table from industrialised countries. It is also clear that you politically need some form of engagement from large developing countries. I cannot say what that form will be … ,” he said. He added that India and China would agree to any such engagement only if industrialised economies took the lead and if relevant technical and financial support was made available.

Talks here are complicated by the fact that the European Union is still in the middle of internal negotiations on climate change in Brussels, while the U.S. is here with a delegation that represents the outgoing Bush administration rather than the incoming Obama administration. Delegates say the G-77 and China bloc, representing most developing nations, is also dealing with the issue of oil-producing members such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar whose mandate is often not in line with the rest of the bloc.