WARSAW — Avoiding a last-minute breakdown, annual U.N. climate talks have limped forward with a modest set of decisions meant to pave the way for a new pact to fight global warming.
More than 190 countries agreed in Warsaw on Saturday to start preparing "contributions" for the new deal, which is supposed to be adopted in 2015.
That term was adopted after China and India objected to "commitments" in a standoff with the U.S. and other developed countries.
Such wording would leave countries with wider latitude in what kind of emissions targets to propose.
The conference also established a "loss and damage" mechanism to help island states and other vulnerable countries under threat from rising seas, extreme weather and other climate impacts.