High hopes: for Copenhagen talks
Walk-out halts Copenhagen talks
Talks at the Copenhagen climate change summit have been suspended after a walk-out led by the African delegation and backed by the G77 group of developing nations.
The main sessions of the United Nations-backed conference were halted after the protest, which came after the developing nations bloc accused developed countries of trying to back out of the Kyoto Protocol on carbon emissions.
Sources said the developing countries walked out of working groups at the start of the second week of negotiations, angered that the conference was weakening in support for the Kyoto Protocol, the core emissions-curbing treaty.
"They have walked out, I am advised, of the working groups," one Western minister told Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity.
"This is salvageable. It depends if people want to be constructive."
African delegate later said they were angry at what they see as moves by the Danish host government to sideline talks on more emission cuts under Kyoto.
As news spread around the conference centre, about 200 activists responded with chants of "We stand with Africa - Kyoto targets now".
It is unclear how matters will proceed now, though informal talks are likely, the BBC reported.
Blocs representing poor countries vulnerable to climate change have been adamant that rich nations must commit to emission cuts beyond 2012 under the Kyoto Protocol.
But the European Union and the developed world in general has promoted the idea of a new agreement. Developing countries fear they would lose many of the gains they made when the protocol was agreed in 1997.
Last week, developing countries accused the Danish organisers of ignoring their concerns.
"The president of the summit (Danish climate minister Connie Hedegaard) is absolutely committed to violate any democratic processes," said G77 chief negotiator Lumumba Di-Aping as he explained the latest development.
Meanwhile, Australia's Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, speaking to Sky news about today's walk-out, said: "This is a walk-out over process and form, not a walk-out over substance, and that's regrettable."
The Kyoto treaty ties the rich countries - but not developing countries - that have ratified it to binding emissions curbs.
"Africa has pulled the emergency cord to avoid a train crash at the end of the week," Jeremy Hobbs from Oxfam International told Sky, referring to a summit on Friday due to be attended by about 120 heads of state or government.
"Poor countries want to see an outcome which guarantees sharp emissions reductions yet rich countries are trying to delay discussions on the only mechanism we have to deliver this - the Kyoto Protocol."
The walk-out delivered another blow to the summit which has already been marred by spats between China and the US.
A top Western negotiator, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Agence France-Presse that a round-table session of about 50 environment ministers on Sunday had been soured by "growing tensions between the Americans and Chinese", saying delegates had merely repeated their previous stances rather than giving ground.
"At the back of everyone's mind is the fear of a repeat of the awful scenario in The Hague," she told the news agency, referring to a climate conference in 2000 on completing the rulebook for the Kyoto Protocol that broke up angrily without agreement.
In an apparent concession, China said it might not take a share of any Western funding for emerging nations to fight climate change.
But in a pointer to the tensions backstage, Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said China would not be the fall guy if there were a fiasco.
"I know people will say if there is no deal that China is to blame. This is a trick played by the developed countries. They have to look at their own position and can't use China as an excuse," he told the Financial Times.