Stalemate at Bali talks on emissions cuts

NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. and European delegates to the Bali conference on climate change remained deadlocked Tuesday on specific targets on emissions cuts.

A draft plan put forward by the United Nations, backed by the European Union and some developing countries, calls for talks in the next two years based on 25 to 40 percent cuts below 1990 levels, The New York Times reported. The United States refused to drop its position that India and China also must take steps to cut emissions before targets can be set and some other countries, such as Japan, were moving toward that position.

E.U. negotiators cited the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which warned of mass extinctions and rising sea levels unless immediate steps are taken.

"Logic requires that we listen to the science," said E.U. Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas. "I would expect others to follow that logic."

Harlan Watson, the chief U.S. negotiator, said starting with "some set of numbers" is unreasonable.