World leaders scramble as ‘very difficult’ issues dog climate talks

World powers must still make tough decisions to agree on a global climate pact that will head off the threat of global warming, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday. He didn’t indicate which issues in particular had become sticking points, but after speaking to reporters he went to meet Indian Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. India has demanded that developed countries like the United States shoulder more of the cost that countries face in adapting to the effects of climate change.

Progress made last night, a long night, but there’s still a couple of very difficult issues we’re working on.

John Kerry

According to Washington’s top diplomat, responsibility for ironing out the remaining kinks in the draft falls on the French presidency of the U.N. summit. But he suggested the U.S. and other powers have been working in parallel to head off disagreements between the players before they surface. "Some of us have been working quietly behind the scenes to work out compromises ahead of time on some of those issues,“ he said.

World climate talks