UN Climate Change Talks End in Germany After Decision Making Spat

The United Nations have been discussing everything from carbon dioxide emissions to more violent weather patterns as they talk about climate change. Yet these talks have now been set back by six months after Russia and its allies blocked the progress that was trying to be achieved. Disagreeing with the agenda, the countries stalled work at two weeks of meetings.

The discussions actually ended on Friday in the German city of Bonn. Yet Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were able to block any forward movement by requesting that the UN review the decision-making procedure that has been used in the UN process for the past two decades, according to the AP. Essentially, decisions in the UN climate discussion are supposed to be taken by consensus. Yet it's not clear exactly what "consensus" means in practice. While it's certainly an issue that needs to be addressed, the discussion essentially halted the climate talks.

"Issues raised by Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have to be discussed," said Jurgen Lefevere, deputy head of the EU delegation, in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. "We will use the time between Bonn and Warsaw to address the issues so that we have no blockage when the Warsaw COP starts."

Currently, our planet is facing a host of issues. Arctic and Antarctic ice is quickly melting, levels of carbon dioxide have rocketed past 400 ppm and the changing climate has caused shifting weather patterns that can increase drought or flooding, depending on the region. Because of this, it's crucial to continue talks that could result in a global effort to combat climate change.

It's not all doom and gloom, though. There was a little bit of progress at the talks. A global climate deal was shaped in Bonn that will be adopted in 2015. Yet we'll have to wait until Warsaw in November to see any further results.