"U.N. Official Says Climate Deal Is at Risk"

"Just a month after world leaders fashioned a tentative and nonbinding agreement at the climate change summit meeting in Copenhagen, the deal already appears at risk of coming undone, the top United Nations climate official warned on Wednesday.

Facing a Jan. 31 deadline, major countries have yet to submit their plans for reducing emissions of climate-altering gases, one of the major provisions of the agreement, according to Yvo de Boer, the Dutch official who is executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which organized the climate meeting.

Fewer than two dozen countries have even submitted letters saying they agree to the terms of the three-page accord. And there has been virtually no progress on spelling out the terms of nearly $30 billion in short-term financial assistance promised to those countries expected to be hardest hit by climate change. Still unresolved are such basic questions as who will donate how much, where the money will go and who will oversee the spending."

John M. Broder and Elisabeth Rosenthal report for the New York Times January 20, 2010.

See Also:

"Cancun To Host Climate Talks" (Post Carbon)

"China-Led Climate Group Ups Pressure On Donors" (Reuters)

"Climate Talks Bigger Threat To Saudi Than Oil Rivals" (Reuters)

"Copenhagen Climate Accord Faces $30 Billion Aid Test" (Reuters)