http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/UN-chief-hails-Durban-climate-roadmap-20111211

 

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday hailed what he called the "significant" breakthrough at UN climate talks that produced a roadmap towards an accord joining all major greenhouse-gas emitters.

 

"The secretary general welcomes the package of decisions known as the Durban Platform that was reached by the 194 parties to the Climate Change Convention in Durban today," Ban said in a statement.

Ban added that the agreement "will guide global efforts to address the causes and impacts of climate change".

"The Durban Platform represents a significant and forward agreement that defines how the international community will address climate change in the coming years," the UN leader said.

The roadmap, which is seen as a major weapon in the fight against climate change, for the first time will bring all major greenhouse-gas emitters under a single legal roof. If approved as scheduled in 2015, it will become operational in 2020.

The deal was reached in Durban after nearly 14 days of talks under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).