U.N. climate summit opens in Cancun

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CANCUN, Mexico, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Reducing carbon emissions is a key goal in the latest round of U.N. climate talks beginning Monday in the Mexican coastal resort of Cancun.

Representatives from 194 countries were schedule to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference with negotiators trying to shrink the gap between commitments to reduce carbon emissions made by developed and developing countries, CNN reported.

"We are very proud to be the hosts of an unprecedented effort of the international community to stop the global warming caused by humans," Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa said during the weekend. "If we do not do it now, it will become not only more costly in terms of finances and human lives, but also the various forces of nature that we will have to adapt to will become more dangerous."

World leaders had high hopes for last year's U.N. climate-control summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, but delegates could only agree on a loose set of voluntary actions in what was called the "Copenhagen Accord."

Several analysts said they think chances of reaching a strong treaty are slim, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported. The gap is wide between developing countries and developed countries on many issues. Extending the Kyoto Protocol, along with financial and technological support for developing countries to reduce carbon emissions, are seen as sticking points.

A new study indicated global emissions of carbon dioxide are likely to reach record levels in 2010, the Indo-Asian News Service reported. The research, led by the University of Exeter in Britain, also indicated the 2009 drop in emissions because of the global financial crisis will be more than offset by renewed growth in fossil fuel burning in 2010.