UPDATE 5-Climate talks suspended after rebellion over drafts

Fri Dec 9, 2011 7:49pm GMT
 

* New draft documents being drawn up

* Vulnerable nations, EU complained about lack of ambition

* Talks expected to last all night (Updates with new text to be drafted)

By Nina Chestney and Jon Herskovitz

DURBAN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Developing states most at risk from global warming rebelled against a proposed deal at U.N. climate talks on Friday, forcing host South Africa to draw up new draft documents in a bid to prevent the talks collapsing.

South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane suspended the talks in Durban after a coalition of island nations, developing states and the European Union complained the current draft lacked ambition, sources said.

"There was a strong appeal from developing countries, saying the commitments in the proposed texts were not enough, both under the Kyoto Protocol and for other countries," said Norway's Climate Change Minister Erik Solheim.

The European Union has been rallying support to its plan to set a 2015 target date for a new climate deal that would impose binding cuts on the world's biggest emitters of heat-trapping gases, a pact that would come into force up to five years later.

Canada's Environment Minister Peter Kent told Reuters there was "serious negotiating to do" if the conference was to wrap up as planned on Friday.   Continued...

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