A rise in global temperatures of four degree Celsius is likely to occur during the 21st century causing "devastating impacts" if greenhouse gas emissions continue rising at the current rate, according to a group of international scientists. In a special issue of the UK journal "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A" -- which coincides with the start of the United Nations climate talks in Cancun, Mexico -- scientists argue that...

The opening day of the U.N. climate change conference on Monday laid great emphasis on achieving a package of decisions at the end of the 10-day deliberations. “Cancun can,” quipped Danish Minister for Climate Change Lykke Friis. A sticky point could be the International Consultation and Analysis (ICA), in which India hopes to play a deal-maker, according to official sources. With 25 heads of state confirming their participation in the conference,...

The sights are set on smaller, though just as important, issues With the first commitment to emission reductions under the Kyoto Protocol expiring in December 2012, the world is looking to a new regime of cuts, which is unlikely to be successfully negotiated here. In 2009, the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen set a target of achieving a binding treaty and it did not happen. Now the sights are set on...

India aims at bringing United States back on board at Cancun climate talks but has termed its offer on climate mitigation as “homeopathetic”. To clinch US, India has two proposals. First, which appeals to the United States, is on measurement review and verification (MRV) regime. India has proposed that nations, whose emissions are one% or more of the global average, should allow verification of their domestic mitigation commitments through a United...

Focus may be on forestry issues and reducing emissions from deforestation This beach resort, swarming with tourists and sports utility vehicles and having opulent hotels and evident unsustainability, may not be the ideal place for a climate change conference but the real issues of climate change are too critical not to be debated anywhere. The United Nations Climate Change Conference that gets under way here on Monday may not result in much...