UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday lowered expectations for difficult Durban talks on climate change, and emphasized the gravity of the challenge, dpa reported. "We must be realistic about the expectations for a breakthrough in Durban," Ban said at the opening of high level talks. "It may be true the ultimate goal of a comprehensive and binding climate change agreement may be beyond our reach for now." He said the global economic crisis and abiding political differences stood in the way of the hoped-for outcome of Durban talks, but urged negotiators to keep up the momentum from Cancun, when nearly 100 countries made informal pledges under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to reduce carbon emissions. "Without exaggeration, we can say the future of our planet is at stake," Ban said.
