Durban:
India today kicks off its high-level political negotiations as Environment Minister, Jayanthi Natrajan, takes control of the talks with other nations at the high level United Nations talks at Durban, South Africa on climate change. India has criticised the Developed Nations, especially the United States of America, for not making firm commitments to cutting green house gas emissions.
India, which is a leading member of the Developing Nations at the conference, has asked the United States and other Developed Nations to make firm commitments on cutting down on green house gases. All eyes are now on the UN climate change conference in Durban as it shifts into its second and final week of negotiations.
This as political leaders arrive in the city for the final round of negotiations.
Former Chief Climate Change Negotiator of the United Nations, Yvo de Boer, has said that he was "deeply concerned" about the ongoing negotiations. He believes the process of negotiating a meaningful climate agreement was failing. World leaders have failed to reach an international accord to control greenhouse gas emissions causing global warming, he said.
In recent years, their inattention has been compounded by their preoccupation with the economic and Eurozone crises. Rather than act in their own national interests, many leaders look to see what others are willing - or unwilling - to concede.
"I think a bit of the situation that we have at the moment, and certainly the situation we had in Copenhagen, is that you've got a bunch of international leaders sitting 85 stories up on the edge of a building, saying to each other, 'you jump first and I'll follow,'" Mr de Boer said.
But despite their failures, Mr de Boer said he thought most leaders sincerely want a deal on climate change.
"It's, to a large extent, I think, a rudderless process," he said.
On Sunday, the South African host of the talks called for divine help at a climate change church service organised by the South African Council of Churches.
"We needed to pray for a credible, balanced and fair outcome that has a sense of urgency to save the earth, the planet now," said Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who as South Africa's Foreign Minister is President of the Durban round of negotiations.
During Sunday's service at the Uniting Presbyterian Church, multi-faith priests laid their hands on her head as Bishop Mike Foster reminded the congregation of how important the fight against climate change was.
Critics of this year's COP17 talks say that too little is being done to push through a legally-binding resolution on climate change.
The COP17 negotiations continue next week when United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opens the high-level negotiating segment on Tuesday.