The top climate change official at the UN urged the European Union to quickly devise strategies to assist developing nations in combating global warming in order to avoid a potential deadlock that could hinder global action. Yvo de Boer emphasized the urgency of this issue for all industrialized countries and stressed the need for increased support to help poorer nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement reached in Bali in December highlighted the necessity for a tangible increase in resources to address climate change effectively. This would encourage developing countries to shift their economies away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources, with commitment from countries like China and India being crucial for wealthier nations, such as the United States, to take action on reducing emissions. The United States is currently not part of the Kyoto agreement, which complicates the situation further. This lack of engagement from developing countries makes it challenging for wealthier nations to progress in their efforts to combat climate change. The Climate Secretariat in Bonn is working on addressing the impact of climate change, such as heatwaves and floods. The EU is committed to leading the fight against climate change, as predicted by the U.N. Climate Panel to bring more extreme weather events in the future. One proposed solution for funding includes auctioning carbon emission rights in the EU and using the proceeds to support developing nations. Another option is to increase a levy on a Kyoto project that allows wealthy nations to invest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. De Boer emphasized the importance of EU budgets for research and development in addressing climate change, stating that without resources for developing countries, it will be difficult to engage them. He also called on French President Nicolas Sarkozy to finalize an EU package of climate measures during the French EU presidency in the second half of 2008. The EU Commission has proposed cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, increasing the use of renewable energy in power production to 20 percent, and utilizing 10 percent of biofuels in transport by 2020. De Boer stressed the need for the package to be completed under the French presidency so it can be presented to the European Parliament. France and Germany expressed concerns last week that the plan could put European jobs at risk. De Boer emphasized that the European Union must now fulfill its commitments by distributing the responsibilities. It is crucial for the EU's credibility on the international stage to provide clear signals on how the target will be met. To read more environmental blogs from Reuters, click on the link.