Global climate change talks begin at Cancun

Global talks on climate change got under way  in Cancún, Mexico, yesterday with no agreements on the toughest issues and little expectation of a breakthrough on formulating an international treaty to cut emissions of the heat-trapping gases linked to global warming.

However, according to some who attended the the UN-sponsored meeting , there was some room for hope that small steps could be taken to address the threat posed by rising global temperatures.

The climate change conference in Cancun yesterday, was addressed by Mario Molina, winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize for chemistry.

The US made an entry to the talks from a weak position due to its lack of action on domestic climate and energy legislation and protracted disputes with China and other major developing nations over verification of emissions reductions. The UN negotiating process itself was on the line, with many expressing fears that the 190-nation talks might not survive another debacle like the one at Copenhagen last December.

This year's talks start on a low note on global climate diplomacy. Last year talks were attended by 100 heads of state in hopes of forging a treaty to address global warming. However, a year later, only midlevel envoys are making their way to the Mexican resort with hopes, at best, of averting disaster.

Last year, president Obama came with support from large majorities in Congress and hopes of passing a comprehensive climate and energy bill, but a year later he faces a new Congress much less convinced about the reality of climate change and considerably less concerned about international efforts to deal with it.