Final round of UN climate talks opens in Barcelona

The fifth round of UN climate talks have opened in Barcelona, Spain. It will be the final UN session this year, and will lay the foundation for December's Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

At the opening ceremony of the meeting, the UN climate chief, noted that earlier talks held in Bangkok, Thailand, had shown promising steps. Yvo de Boer says the progress needs to be continued in Barcelona.

Developing countries are in urgent need of assistance to tackling climate change. De Boer says a successful agreement will include guarantees on long-term financing, and initiating funding at Copenhagen for developing countries.

During the five-day meeting in Barcelona, about 4 thousand negotiators and observers from nearly 180 countries are attempting to draft a deal that will hopefully lead to a final agreement in Copenhagen.

Setting 2020 carbon emissions caps for developed countries and the amount of funding for poorer nations to combat climate change, remain sticking points.

The Copenhagen meeting hopes to reach an agreement that will replace the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012.