VOA标准英语2009年-UN Climate Talks End with Little Progress

By Daniel Schearf
Bangkok
09 October 2009

 
Activists carrying masks of world leaders protest outside the UN regional office in Bangkok, Thailand (File)
United Nations talks on climate change have ended in Bangkok with little sign of progress. There are still major disagreements between developing and rich countries, underscoring concerns about whether an agreement can be reached.

U.N. officials say two weeks of talks on climate change ended with modest progress, mainly on technical issues.

But major gaps remain between rich and developing nations on how to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions².

Developing nations want rich countries to commit to higher emission¹ reductions and provide them more funding to reduce their own emissions.

Norway and Japan were the only industrialized countries to win applause for pledging further emission reductions.

Bernarditas Muller is an environmental affairs advisor³ for the Philippines and spoke⁴ for the group of 77 developing nations and China. She said rich country funding offers were woefully inadequate⁵.

"The proposals that we have on the table before us for financing, for technology transfer, for adaptation, all of which are legally binding⁶ commitments, only go towards shirking and skirting these responsibilities, shifting these responsibilities to developing countries themselves," she said.

Industrialized countries say they want to see more commitments from developing nations on emission reductions.

Artur Runge-Metzger, the chief negotiator at the talks for the European Commission, says developing countries offered little at the Bangkok talks and need to do more at the next round of negotiations⁷ in November in Spain.

"Instead of saying 'ok, let's also put our cards on the table,' they were kept even closer to the chest," he said. "And, I think that's really unfortunate. And, we need to see really, we need to have a glimpse on those cards in Barcelona."

Rights groups expressed concern that the gap between rich and developing nations is widening.

 

 
UN Climate chief Yvo de Boer prior to the start of the opening session of the UN climate talks in Bangkok, Thailand, 28 Sep 2009
But Yvo de Boer, the U.N.'s top climate change official, says there have been significant advances in the process and that there is still an underlying⁸ spirit of being constructive⁹.

"All the ingredients for success are on the table. And, what we must do now is step back from self-interest and let common interest prevail," he said.

The meeting in Barcelona is the last before final negotiations in December in Copenhagen.

1 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。

2 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。

3 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

6 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。

7 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。

8 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

9 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。