UNITED NATIONS - UN SECRETARY-GENERAL Ban Ki Moon on Wednesday played up the December climate summit in Copenhagen by saying it could be a success even without yielding a legally binding agreement on reducing pollution.
He urged the 190 participating nations to reach political deals - which diplomats said means nonbinding agreements - on ambitious goals with the details to be worked out later.
Diplomats and UN officials say getting political agreements out of Copenhagen will not be easy. Rich and poor nations are deadlocked, they say, on how to share the burden of curbing carbon dioxide emissions and aid to fund a deal.
But the UN chief insisted at a monthly news conference that expectations for the December summit remained high and said he was speaking daily with world leaders to encourage them to overcome the deadlock.
Mr Ban said developed and developing countries should agree in Copenhagen on ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or growth of emissions.
Developing countries would need significant financial assistance to help them adapt to meet emissions targets, and this issue also should be agreed to in December, he said. -- REUTERS
