A fresh series of UN climate negotiations commences on Monday as nearly 200 countries gather in Mexico with the goal of reaching a consensus on crucial issues that are causing a divide between wealthy and developing nations. The conference, taking place over two weeks in the coastal town of Cancun, aims to establish agreements on financing and strategies to protect rainforests and prepare for a warmer planet. Additionally, efforts will be made to formalize existing goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The atmosphere surrounding the event is much less grand compared to last year's Copenhagen summit, which sought to finalize a new climate treaty but ultimately resulted in a non-binding agreement that was rejected by several developing nations. The ongoing UN discussions have put the United States and China, the world's top two carbon emitters, against each other, with the US pushing for China to take more action on emissions, mirroring similar tensions around trade and human rights. On the eve of the negotiations, Mexican President Felipe Calderon highlighted the economic benefits of addressing climate change in order to overcome the distrust from the previous summit. He emphasized that the choice between protecting the environment and addressing poverty, and between addressing climate change and promoting economic growth, is not a true dilemma. Calderon spoke about the importance of renewable energy and unveiled a wind turbine to power the conference hotel. He stated that the focus of the talks would be on preparing for a warmer world, a particularly important issue for poorer nations, with a primary emphasis on adaptation. This statement caused concern among European Union negotiators, who insisted that the negotiations must also result in stronger commitments to existing emissions targets, including from developing countries. "We will be seeking a limited number of decisions in Cancun. Our goal is to establish a clear path forward," stated Artur Runge-Metzger, a senior EU negotiator, on Sunday. Peter Wittoeck, a senior negotiator with Belgium, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, mentioned, "We can see the potential for a compromise." The primary objective of the negotiations is to reach a more stringent climate agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which is set to expire in 2012, in order to intensify efforts to combat global warming. Studies released on Sunday suggested that, in the worst-case scenario of climate change, global temperatures could rise by 4 degrees Celsius (7.2F) by the 2060s, necessitating an annual investment of $270 billion to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels.