The head of the UN climate change organization is urging governments to take concrete steps towards a new treaty to combat global warming, warning that failure to do so could jeopardize negotiations. Delegates are currently meeting in Tianjin to discuss the future of the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Issues such as lack of trust between rich and poor nations, transparency over emissions cuts, and disagreements over the size of cuts offered by wealthy nations have hindered progress. Postponing an agreement would leave less time to address greenhouse gas emissions and create uncertainty for companies unsure of future climate policies and carbon markets beyond 2012. Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres stressed the importance of finding common ground during the talks in Tianjin. The discussions taking place now are the final major round of negotiations before the main climate conference in Cancun, Mexico on November 29. Almost 200 government representatives were unable to reach an agreement on a new legally binding climate treaty last year. The meeting in Copenhagen in 2009 resulted in disagreements between wealthy and developing nations, leading to a non-binding agreement that left many important issues unresolved. Governments are working to build trust and transform a complex draft treaty into a legally binding document, possibly by late 2011. A successful outcome in Cancun is necessary to renew confidence in the process and prevent it from stalling indefinitely, according to a speaker at the meeting. Wendel Trio, the climate policy coordinator for Greenpeace, stated that recent devastating floods in Pakistan and severe drought in Russia are examples of extreme weather events that could worsen with rising temperatures if countries do not significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Trio emphasized the need for developed countries to show commitment to the pledges they made in Copenhagen in order to build trust among nations. At the Tianjin talks, Christiana Figueres expressed hope for agreement on key aspects of a future climate pact, such as managing adaptation funds, green technology for poorer countries, and supporting carbon-absorbing forests. She believes there is a good chance that governments will agree on creating a climate fund, although it may take time to decide on funding sources. Even if negotiations progress, the current commitments by governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will not be sufficient to prevent the world from experiencing dangerous global warming, which is generally defined as a temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial levels, according to Figueres. She stated in an interview that these commitments are not enough to ensure even a two-degree temperature rise, which is not guaranteed to protect the most vulnerable countries. Despite this, she emphasized the importance of governments focusing on formalizing the proposed emissions cuts, acknowledging that it is a necessary but incomplete first step.