The chief U.S. negotiator on climate change issues, Todd Stern, said that there is a slow "convergence" and agreement at a "broad level" on world climate change issues, at least among major countries, AFP reported. After conducting a private conference call with key leaders, Stern told reporters in Washington that there was "considerable support" for this December's U.N. climate summit in Cancun to shape an agreement that "carries legal force," AFP reported. Said Stern: "People would be delighted if that happened this year, but I think people are also quite cognizant that that might or might not happen."
The talks included representation from 17 major economies and Michael Froman, a senior White House adviser who led the meeting, said the talks also included Colombia, Denmark, Grenada and Yemen. With air travel disrupted by Iceland's volcanic eruption, some nations participated by videoconference or were represented by Washington-based diplomats. Added AFP: "The United States did not invite small nations such as Sudan and Venezuela, whose negotiators launched hours of loud protests at December's UN summit in Copenhagen attended by 120 national leaders."
India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, in prepared remarks quoted by Indian media, told the conference that he wanted the Washington talks to reduce the "huge trust deficit" in climate negotiation, the AFP reported, writing: "One way to build trust, he said, was to begin the disbursement of some of the 30 billion dollars that wealthy nations say developing nations will need in the short-term to adapt to climate change."