Environmental analysis news: UN revokes climate change deadline

The UN has changed the deadline by which the 192 countries who attended the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference last month must declare their official emissions reduction targets.

Yvo de Boer, head of the UN's climate change negotiations, stated that the January 31st cut-off date for submissions was now "a soft deadline".

Speaking in Bonn, the Guardian quoted Mr de Boer as saying: "Countries are not being asked to sign the accord to take on legally binding targets, only to indicate their intention."

To date, just 20 of the 192 countries that attended the summit have signed up. The two-week event ended without an official agreement relating to global emissions targets.

Russia, Australia, India, Mexico, France and Norway are among those who have put pen to paper, the news provider reported.

Some of the world's most polluting nations are due to meet next week to agree a common approach ahead of UN talks scheduled for later this year.

Representatives from Brazil, China, India and South Africa will come together in Delhi to discuss their positions.

Posted by Joseph Hutton