雅思阅读材料之Cancunmeetingreachesclimatechangeagreement

会计考友

　联合国国际气候会议在墨西哥的坎昆已经举行了有些时日了，终于在一系列的磋商之后大家基本达成了一项协议，那么这项协议究竟有什么内容呢？  
　　A comprehensive global deal is now back on track after the agreement, which was reached despite protests by Bolivia during a dramatic finale to the United Nations meeting in Mexico.

　　The crunch talks went late into the night as more than 190 countries attempted to agree on the best way to cut carbon emissions.
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; k/ G$ f6 z9 F* t　　The last attempt to reach a global deal in Copenhagen at the end of last year ended in chaos and there were fears that the UN process could collapse completely if talks failed again.

　　However, after two weeks of negotiating, rich and poor countries agreed a compromise that will see all countries committed to cutting emissions for the first time.
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  U6 S( \* P8 e5 N4 P+ Z( D0 F" U　　The "Cancun package" also sets up a "green fund" to help poor countries cope with climate change and a new scheme to halt deforestation.

1 L% I' e8 o6 _4 ~: p0 R1 S3 I　　Bolivia claimed the agreement was "tantamount to genocide" because cuts are not tough enough to stop dangerous global warming.

　　But after repeated attempts to achieve consensus, the UN decision was taken without the agreement of the South American country.
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　　To cheers from the ministers, Patricia Espinosa, Mexican foreign secretary and president of the talks, overruled the Bolivian negotiator who repeatedly took the floor and insisted the deal needed complete consensus.

　　"I of course note your position, but if there are no other objections, the document is adopted," she said to thunderous applause.

　　Felipe Calderón, the president of Mexico, said it was a historic agreement.

: H  Q. c! s% @* t1 V$ y) Q: s　　He said the world has been "crushed by inertia and helplessness" in the face of climate change.

6 w7 C% A( G. `4 C$ j2 J　　But he said that the deal in Cancun would restore hope in the UN process and the fight against climate change.

　　"Confidence is back, hope has returned to the fight against climate change and in many other matters that require hope and trust in the face of our global problems," he said.

" o0 w5 H1 D- L7 S' w0 H　　The new deal falls short of a global treaty. However it has progressed from Copenhagen by getting all countries, except Bolivia, to sign up to an official UN document.

& I/ P7 \8 W* `* D7 r( `2 H　　The Cancun deal commits all countries to keeping temperature rise below 2C (3.6F) by reducing emissions. Rich countries have agreed to consider an extension of the Kyoto Protocol while poor countries will sign up to emission cuts for the first time. There are also a series of key decisions on setting up a green fund to help poor countries cope with climate change and halting deforestation.
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. @9 e  `0 D# ~" J+ w4 X% B　　Chris Huhne, the Climate Change and Energy Secretary, said the proposals did not give everybody everything they wanted but it was progress.
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) y7 e% P$ C0 j3 L　　"We've made much more progress than anybody expected only weeks," he said.

　　"We have real commitments to reductions of greenhouse gases both by developed and developing countries."