Bonn climate talks see little progress

     BONN, Germany, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The latest United Nations (UN) climate talks ended here on Friday with no surprise -- some " technical issues" saw some progress, as delegates usually said, while major disagreements remained.

    The two-week UN climate negotiations² have made "clear advances" on such issues as extending carbon trading mechanisms⁴, climate fund management and slowing deforestation, Christiana Figueres, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) executive secretary, said at a closing press conference.

    Figueres said delegates from 183 countries stepped forward with a technology mechanism³ to boost global green technology sharing. The mechanism will include a Climate Technology Center and Network to establish a worldwide clean technology stakeholder community.

    As for the implementation⁵ of a comprehensive package of the Cancun summit last year, this Bonn session has "paved the way" for progress at the next UN ministerial-level climate conference, which is to be held in Durban, South Africa from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, Figueres said.

    "Strong convergence has emerged on how the Adaptation Committee will be governed, what its composition will be and what its specific role will be," she said. "This progress means that the Committee could be fully⁶ operationalized at Durban."The UN climate chief stressed that governments, business circles and civil society cannot solve issues related to climate change "in one meeting," and climate talks are "the most important " negotiations the world has ever seen.

    "The Bonn meeting is practical, focusing on concrete issues. In general, the negotiating process is moving forward step by step and on the right track," Su Wei, China's chief negotiator, told Xinhua on Friday.

    "Despite setbacks and reversals, parties are taking climate change seriously and are willing to promote the negotiations under the Bali Roadmap," he said. "In the past two weeks, contact groups are busy making informal consultations⁷ on various topics.""Admittedly, in some key areas, there is a gap among parties," Su said.

    During the meeting, many delegates and observers have complained that the pace of negotiation¹ was unbearably⁸ slow, especially against the backdrop of a new warning from the International Energy Agency, which said the global energy-related carbon emissions¹⁰ rose to a record high in 2010 despite decade-long efforts on curbs¹¹.

    Experts said one of the main hurdles¹² in current talks was still the old topic -- the fate of the Kyoto Protocol¹³, the sole legally- binding¹⁴ pact¹⁵ on industrial countries' emission⁹ cuts set to expire at the end of 2012.

    The protocol, which binds¹⁶ 37 rich countries, has been crippled since Cancun, as Japan, Canada and Russia have clearly stated they would not extend the pact's second commitment period after 2012.

    The United States, which never ratified¹⁷ the treaty, said it would not accept any legal deal unless other major economies have similar emission constraints¹⁸.

    The European Union (EU), the last major bloc¹⁹ that is open to the renewing of the Kyoto Protocol, said its supportive attitude should not be taken for granted. The EU said it would not unilaterally step up efforts on combating climate change if other nations are not willing to do the same.

    Meanwhile, developing countries insisted that the updating of the Kyoto Protocol remains²⁰ "the very core issue" of current talks, asking rich nations to shoulder their historical responsibilities and preserve the pact as a major legally-binding instrument to tackle climate change.

    The Group of 77 and China, representing over 130 developing nations, have said that the renewal²¹ of the Protocol should be the priority for Durban.

    On Friday, Figueres said that "resolving the future of the Kyoto Protocol is an essential task this year and will require high-level political guidance.""By Durban, governments need to come forward with options that will be acceptable to all parties," she said, adding that high- level contacts are necessary to break the ice.

    She told reporters that environment ministers are due to meet in Berlin from July 3 to 4, known as a continuation of last year's ministerial-level informal talks held in the town of Petersburg near Bonn. Moreover, world leaders are due to discuss climate change on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.

    Before the Durban summit, delegates have agreed to hold an additional round of climate talks in late September or early October, Figueres revealed.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

4 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 unbearably   

adv.不能忍受地，无法容忍地；慌

参考例句：

• It was unbearably hot in the car. 汽车里热得难以忍受。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She found it unbearably painful to speak. 她发现开口说话痛苦得令人难以承受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

10 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

11 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

12 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

13 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

14 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

15 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

16 binds   

v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕

参考例句：

• Frost binds the soil. 霜使土壤凝结。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Stones and cement binds strongly. 石头和水泥凝固得很牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

18 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

19 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

20 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

21 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。