Katowice: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres returns to climate talks
U.N.Secretary General Antonio Guterres has flown back to Poland in an effort to support struggling talks on ways of fighting climate change.
KATOWICE, Poland: The Latest on the climate talks taking place in Poland (all times local):
10:25 a.m.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has flown back to Poland in an effort to support struggling talks on ways of fighting climate change.
Guterres was expected to make a statement Wednesday during the U.N. climate summit in Katowice, southern Poland, where negotiators from almost 200 countries are trying to work out an agreement this week on ways of keeping global warming in check.
The talks hit a hurdle Saturday when the United States and three other countries blocked endorsement of a landmark study on global warming.
A U.N. official who was not authorized to release the information told The Associated Press that Guterres, who opened the talks last week, has returned to Katowice to encourage progress.
– By Frank Jordans
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10 a.m.
Germany’s environment minister wants more European Union funds to support regions affected by the closure of coal mines.
Svenja Schulze told reporters on the sidelines of the U.N. climate talks Wednesday that Germany is committed to phasing out the use of coal, though the exact deadline has yet to be determined.
She praised the measures Spain has taken to achieve a so-called just transition for miners in that country.
In a nod to the recent protests in France over fuel prices, Schulze warned that governments that force through measures would lose public support “faster than you can spell climate protection, and then people pull on yellow vests.”
The climate talks in Katowice, Poland, have entered a crunch phase, with some delegations calling for stronger leadership to ensure agreement is reached.
Source: AP
