There’s been a fairly significant shift of emphasis at the climate talks 
in Doha. Poor countries, which are already suffering the serious effects of worldwide rising temperatures, now have a ‘pledge’ from rich nations that they will be ‘compensated’ to restore some of the damage they have already suffered.
According to Fiona Harvey of the Observer newspaper: “This is first time developing countries have received such assurances and the first time the phrase ‘loss and damage from climate change’ has been enshrined in an international legal document.”
The UK Secretary for Energy & Climate Change, Ed Davey, said: “It’s all about helping the most vulnerable countries and looking at how much they an be more resilient.”
But as Harvey pointed out, the pledges ‘stopped well short of any admission of legal liability on the need to pay compensation on the part of the rich world.’
Roger Harrabin, BBC environmental analyst, said: ‘The deal agreed by 200 nations extends to 2020 the Kyoto Protocol.”
In fact, the Doha conference also cleared the way for the Kyoto protocol to be replaced with a new treaty binding all rich and poor nations together by 2015 to tackle climate change.
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