U.N. climate talks agree on agenda for next global pact BANGKOK, Thailand

Bangkok Climate Change Talks Close THAILAND: April 7, 2008 BANGKOK - The first formal talks to draw up a replacement to the Kyoto climate change pact wound up in Thailand on Friday with plans for another seven rounds of negotiations in the next 18 months to tackle global warming. As expected, no major advances were achieved at the meeting, which was mainly intended to flesh out a roadmap from a breakthrough agreement in Bali last year to kick off the talks through to a culmination in Copenhagen at the end of 2009.

Climate negotiators considered a compromise work schedule for talks leading to a sweeping global warming pact, apparently overcoming a heated dispute over a Japanese proposal on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The proposed agenda, shown on today evening to The Associated Press, laid out the issues negotiators will work towards the pact, to be concluded by the end of 2009.

US warns on economy as Africa seeks climate aid Agence France-Presse . Bangkok The United States warned Thursday a worsening economy limited what it could give to help poor nations fight global warming, as African activists appealed for major polluters to commit one per cent of GDP. More than 160 countries are meeting in Bangkok in a bid to lay the groundwork for a deal on combatting climate change after the landmark Kyoto Protocol's commitments to slash greenhouse gas emissions run out in 2012.

US warns on economy as Africa seeks climate aid Agence France-Presse . Bangkok The United States warned Thursday a worsening economy limited what it could give to help poor nations fight global warming, as African activists appealed for major polluters to commit one per cent of GDP. More than 160 countries are meeting in Bangkok in a bid to lay the groundwork for a deal on combatting climate change after the landmark Kyoto Protocol's commitments to slash greenhouse gas emissions run out in 2012.

A spring gale is lashing orthodox climate policy. This week, an article was published in Nature that should shake the certainty of anyone who assumes that the Kyoto protocol approach is the sensible way to go, and that signing the accord is a responsible step for the United States to take.

Climate change experts from around the world gather in Bangkok this week to discuss the successor to the Kyoto agreement, which comes to an end in 2012. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is hosting the summit, which will try to forge an agreement that is palatable to most nations whilst having a real impact on global carbon levels.