EU climate chief: 'No climate deal likely before 2012'

Global divisions on climate are so acute that a binding UN deal is unlikely for almost another two years, Europe's new climate commissioner believes.

Speaking to a meeting of the foreign ministers of EU member states in Brussels on Monday, commissioner Connie Hedegaard warned that while she very much hoped for a legally binding deal to be reached as soon as possible, this was most likely not achievable before the ‘Cop 17' - shorthand for the meeting of the Conference of Parties to the U...