Barcelona - Protests continued Wednesday during a key meeting of United Nations climate negotiators in Barcelona, urging the 181 participating countries to agree to drastic cuts to carbon dioxide emissions ahead of December's Copenhagen climate conference. Dozens of environmental activists briefly blocked entries to the conference building, displaying a banner reading: "Without drastic reduction, there is no way out."
The meeting, which lasts from Monday to Friday in the north- eastern Spanish city, is the last round of talks before the Copenhagen conference attempts to reach an agreement to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
African and other developing countries Tuesday protested what they regarded as advanced industrialized countries' unwillingness to make clear commitments, threatening to boycott the meeting.
Negotiators then agreed to create new working groups to discuss greenhouse emission cuts by rich nations.
Africa is already suffering from the consequences of climate change, while developed countries did not want to make clear what they were prepared to do to stop it, charged Kamal Djemouai, a spokesman for African countries.
Some countries had come to Barcelona with the intention of leaving all decisions to be taken in Copenhagen, Sudanese delegate Lumumba Stanislaus complained.
Developing countries' representatives were especially critical of the United States, which has not signed the Kyoto Protocol, as well as Canada, Russia, Australia and the European Union.
Developing countries want advanced industrialized nations to curb emissions by at least 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020.
Green parties have announced a global campaign to demand firm pledges at the Copenhagen conference, which is scheduled for December 7 to 18.
