Nations Allege 'Attacks' On Science at Key Climate Talks

PARIS: Crucial negotiations ahead of the COP31 summit have been frustrated by a "small group of fossil fuels interests" attacking the science of climate change behind closed doors, envoys said Wednesday.

Delegates representing the EU, Switzerland and dozens of developing nations accused some countries of undermining the scientific consensus on global warming at climate negotiations due to conclude on Thursday in Bonn, Germany.

"There are powerful interests desperate to protect their wealth and influence," said Fiji's head of delegation Sivendra Michael, flanked by supporters in T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "Science is Not Negotiable".

"We are seeing certain countries holding the process hostage as vulnerable people suffer heat stress, and king tides and storms, drought and famine," he said.

Bonn is where texts are drafted and differences narrowed ahead of the decisions taken by political leaders at the U.N.-sponsored COP31 climate talks which are due to start November 9 in Antalya, Turkey.

The preparatory talks had seen "coordinated attacks across the negotiation rooms by the small number of fossil fuel interests", said Manjeet Dhakal, an adviser to the 44-nation Least Developed Countries bloc.

These countries had tried to remove references to the IPCC -- the U.N.'s expert scientific panel on climate change -- and the need to limit warming to 1.5C in draft texts under negotiation, Michael said.

No country was singled out by name.

- AFP