Representatives from nearly 200 countries have gathered in Durban, South Africa for a U.N. conference on climate change. The 12-day meeting began Monday and will focus on efforts to extend the Kyoto Protocol, which is set to expire next year. The Kyoto pact committed industrialized nations to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a set amount by 2012, but efforts to negotiate its successor have been on hold since the failure of the climate conference in Copenhagen two years ago. Few believe this conference will result in a new agreement, but delegates said Monday they are hopeful.
Tanzania's Richard Muyungi said he thinks the countries can overcome the challenges of the debate. Meanwhile, Bolivia's Diego Balanza said delegates have to move past the previous climate conference failures. He said delegates must push to secure large commitments, which were not achieved by prior talks.Previous efforts have focused on how to balance the responsibilities of developed nations with those of emerging and still-developing countries.