DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) – When the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s only legally-binding pact to tackle climate change was adopted in the economically-booming 1990s, it was meant to be a down payment.

Sunday’s tentative promise, thrashed out over days of talks, that all the big emitters will eventually join an international scheme of carbon reduction targets is the latest small installment and allows U.N. law to retain some value in trying to stop the planet from overheating.

DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) – When the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s only legally-binding pact to tackle climate change was adopted in the economically-booming 1990s, it was meant to be a down payment.

Sunday’s tentative promise, thrashed out over days of talks, that all the big emitters will eventually join an international scheme of carbon reduction targets is the latest small installment and allows U.N. law to retain some value in trying to stop the planet from overheating.

DURBAN (Reuters) – U.N. climate change talks agreed a pact Sunday that for the first time would force all the biggest polluters to take action to slow the pace of global warming.

The deal follows years of failed attempts to impose legally-binding, international cuts on emerging giants, such as China and India, as well as rich nations like the United States.

DURBAN (Reuters) – Ministers fought to save U.N. climate talks from collapse on Saturday, searching to narrow differences between rich and poor nations over how quickly to fight global warming.

Ministerial negotiations in the South African port city of Durban dragged into Saturday afternoon but with many delegates due to head home, there was a strong chance real decisions would be put off until next year.

DURBAN/LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) – The European
Commission is expected to unveil its latest vision on how to
plan for a greener energy future next week and a draft document
seen by Reuters points to a jump in the average capital costs of
the energy system in coming years.

Electricity prices would rise until around 2030 but new
energy systems could lower prices after that, it said.

DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) – China has roared to the front of a green technology race that ultimately could do more to save the planet than the endless hours of U.N. negotiations, that year after year have failed to deliver an adequate response to climate change.

The latest climate talks in the South African port city of Durban, which dragged on in bitter debate on Friday, might manage incremental steps towards a new treaty on limiting global warming.

DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) – China has roared to the front of a green technology race that ultimately could do more to save the planet than the endless hours of U.N. negotiations, that year after year have failed to deliver an adequate response to climate change.

The latest climate talks in the South African port city of Durban, which dragged on in bitter debate on Friday, might manage incremental steps towards a new treaty on limiting global warming.

DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) – Support grew Thursday for an EU plan to agree a global climate change pact with binding targets by 2015, after poor nations vulnerable to climate change forged alliances with developed countries.

The European Union said it was encouraged its “road map” to legally binding commitments by 2015 to cut greenhouse gas emissions was gaining traction at the talks, which are due to wrap up in the South African port of Durban Friday.

DURBAN, South Africa, Dec 7 (Reuters) – Negotiators
are close to agreeing the shape of a Green Climate Fund, which
is designed to help poor nations tackle global warming and nudge
them towards a new global effort to fight climate change.

Rich countries have pledged up to $100 billion a year by
2020 to aid poor states most directly affected by rising global
temperatures to adapt their economies and protect themselves
from adverse weather.

DURBAN, South Africa, Dec 7 (Reuters) – EU plans to
slap a “dirty” label on fuels derived from Canada’s huge oil
sands reserves have received a boost from California, whose
pioneering labeling scheme seeks to put consumers in the driving
seat.

Canada sees huge export potential for its reserves of oil
sand, which are among the world’s largest, and has bitterly
opposed EU plans it regards as a threat to future markets.