France

The second two-week round of UN-led climate talks, held in Bonn, met with some critical feedback, though there were notable highlights

in the dialogue.  One such highlight was the pitch four of the world’s largest air carriers made for a worldwide emissions limit for all airlines as part of the deal to be reached in Copenhagen this December.

The first US-led meeting of major greenhouse emitting nations initiated by the Obama administration has wound up in Washington DC with little movement on the big sticking points holding back a new post-2012 global climate treaty. The hard reality is underscored by latest official submissions to the UN climate change convention (UNFCCC) showing big gaps still exist between key nations.

The Group of Eight nations meeting in Italy must take the lead in the fight against global warming or endanger hundreds of millions of people worldwide, the British charity Oxfam said Wednesday.

"We have reached a crossroads, and rich countries get to choose the route we all take," said Antonio Hill, a senior policy advisor for Oxfam.

"One route leads us out of today?s economic and climate crises and towards a low carbon future; the other spells disaster for hundreds of millions of people across the globe," he said.