MOSCOW, December 7 (RIA Novosti) - The 15th UN Climate Change Conference will open on Monday in Copenhagen to discuss a new legally binding agreement on the reduction of carbon emissions.
The climate talks in the Danish capital on December 7-18 are expected to see the singing of a new international document to replace the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, some elements of which expire in 2012.
Some experts believe, though, that the summit, which puts together about 15,000 participants from 192 countries, is more likely to just outline principles and directions for a post-Kyoto framework.
Many world leaders have pledged on the eve of the summit to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help keeping global warming under control.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would target a 25% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020 instead of 15% cuts projected earlier.
U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce a 17% emissions cut at the climate summit.
South Africa announced on Sunday it would reduce emissions by 34% over the next 10 years, while India earlier offered to cut emissions by up to 25% during the same period.
A recent study released by the U.N. Environment Program indicates that "all countries together should emit no more than 44 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2020 to avoid the worst consequences of a warming world."
Meanwhile, 11 international news agencies, including RIA Novosti, have launched a joint Facebook page to interact with news consumers across the globe during the climate conference in Copenhagen.
The Facebook fan page, called The Climate Pool, will bring the news agencies together in an unprecedented collaboration to spark a global conversation about climate issues.
