Green groups walk out of UN climate talks

Six green groups have walked out of UN climate negotiations, declaring that the ailing talks were “on track to deliver virtually nothing”.

The annual round of talks are meant to pave the way to a climate deal by 2015 that will peg global warming to a maximum 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial revolution levels.

But deep faultlines have emerged between rich and poor nations.

The negotiations, which opened on November 11, entered their penultimate day on Thursday with the two sides still squabbling over funding for poor nations to deal with climate change, and apportioning curbs in climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenpeace spokesman Gregor Kessler told the AFP news agency that the groups were “leaving this year’s conference for good today”.

He said the delegations, or at least that of Greenpeace, would not leave Warsaw altogether, and would “follow the discussions from the outside”.

“We will not be part of the internal discussions.”

The other signatories were WWF, Oxfam, ActionAid, the International Trade Union Confederation and Friends of the Earth.

Governments failing

Green groups attend the talks as observers and advisors, and do not take part in decision-making, which is reserved for UN member states.

“Organisations and movements representing people from every corner of the Earth have decided that the best use of our time is to voluntarily withdraw from the Warsaw climate talks,” the signatories said in a statement.

“The Warsaw climate conference, which should have been an important step in the just transition to a sustainable future, is on track to deliver virtually nothing.”

Oxfam’s executive director, Winnie Byanyima, said governments gathered in Warsaw were failing in their primary responsibility of securing the security of their people.

“They must… come back in 2014 ready for meaningful discussions on how they will deliver their share of the emissions reductions which scientists say are needed and their share of the money needed to help the poorest and most vulnerable countries adapt” to climate change.