DUSHANBE, December 7, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- A Tajik delegation, led by the First Deputy Prime Minister, Asadullo Ghulomov, is attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference that has opened in Copenhagen today, according to Tajik President’s Executive Office.

According to international media, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary, Mr. Yvo de Boer, said on Sunday that the Copenhagen climate negotiations must yield an ambitious, sweeping agreement to capitalize on pledges by countries to fight global warming.

"I believe that negotiators now have the clearest signal ever from world leaders to draft a solid set of proposals to implement rapid action," the UN climate chief told reporters, according to Reuters.  "Never in the 17 years of climate change negotiations have so many different nations made so many firm pledges together. Almost every day countries announce new targets or plans of action to cut emissions," he said.

In recent weeks, China, India, Indonesia and other countries have announced commitments to reduce emissions, raising hopes of success in Copenhagen.  South Africa on Sunday became the latest country to announce an emissions target. It said over the next 10 years it would reduce emissions by 34 percent from "business as usual," the level they would reach under ordinary circumstances, Associated Press reports.  By 2025 that figure would peak at 42 percent, effectively leveling off and thereafter begin to decline.  Japan said on Sunday it would stick with its target to cut emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, although the pledge depends on all major emitters, including China and the United States, being ambitious.

The closing stages of the UN conference will be attended by 105 world leaders who will try to seal a deal after years of bitter debates over how to divide up the burden of emissions curbs and who should pay.