Climate conference approves landmark deal

Ministers gather in a huddle where agreement was reached to extend the Kyoto Protocol during a plenary session at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17) in Durban December 11, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

DURBAN, South Africa - After an extra day's hard negotiations, the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreed Sunday on the second commitment period under Kyoto Protocol.

Kyoto Protocol is the only legally binding treaty which sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European Union to slash carbon emissions to 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

Before the final decision was made, delegates from Bolivia, Papua New Guinea and Nicaragua raised further amendments to the decision.

Earlier on Sunday morning, a draft which was circulated in the conference said the second commitment period would stretch from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017, which was rejected by India.

The final result is not immediately available.

Japan, Russia and Canada have rejected to join the second commitment period before COP17, and the United States never ratified it.

COP17 was scheduled to end on Friday afternoon, but because of strong divisions on some hot issues among parties, the conference was extended by an extra day.