Twelve heads of government and state have said they will attend the U.N. climate talks taking place in Durban, South Africa, U.N. climate Chief Christiana Figueres said Friday. The twelve heads of state are mostly from Africa and the Pacific Islands. Figueres stated that about 130 ministers will also attend for negotiations under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. The ministers are set to arrive Monday and Tuesday to attend the sessions starting Tuesday afternoon. Over the weekend, a preliminary draft of a possible “Durban Accord” will be circulated. The main issues at hand are the future of the Kyoto Protocol, which is the only international treaty limiting greenhouse gases, and whether or not nations should set an objective of crafting a comprehensive climate deal before the end of the decade. Activating a “green climate fund” that would give $100 billion a year to poorer countries by 2020, will also be discussed.
