By Joydeep Gupta
Copenhagen, Dec 8 (IANS) None of the commitments made by rich countries or emerging countries are good enough to halt dangerous global warming, the UN climate chief said here Tuesday.

As over 5,000 delegates from 192 governments started the business end of the Dec 7-18 climate summit, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer said none of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation targets on the table so far matched up what was required, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The IPCC had said global GHG emissions had to be reduced 25-40 percent by 2020 if global warming was to be kept to two degrees Celsius, thus saving the world from the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

“No target tabled by any rich country or emerging economy is good enough for that,” de Boer said, hoping that environment ministers gathering here from this weekend would strengthen their targets. “The targets of China, US, EU can be improved upon.”

The UNFCCC chief hoped these changes would be finalised before heads of government gathered here Dec 17-18.

“The world leaders are not going to be here for technical negotiations,” he said. “They have to ensure that what’s agreed here measures up to their expectations.”

While de Boer was making his plea, government negotiators were closeted in their blocs, with few bothering to attend the plenary sessions of the summit. A veteran member of the Indian government delegation said there were no negotiations going on; instead countries were being asked to agree to prepared texts of a Copenhagen declaration.

“We are not going to agree,” the Indian negotiator said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “If they (developed countries) do not allow negotiations, we’ll have to take it up in the plenary sessions later.”