UPDATED: No agreement at Bangkok climate talks

Just like there won't be an agreement at Copenhagen either. So why on earth are Penny Wong and Kevin Rudd insisting that Australia pass an ETS prior to then? Wait, I know the answer that is always parroted out: "business certainty" - heard that one before.

The United Nations climate talks in Bangkok have failed to deliver consensus between the world's developing and developed nations.

The meeting finishes today after two weeks of intense negotiations.

The gathering of more than 190 nations was hoped to deliver the foundations for a new global climate agreement to be negotiated in Copenhagen in December.

Instead, the world's two biggest polluters are deadlocked, with the United States calling for the existing Kyoto protocol to be abandoned, and a new treaty to be discussed. China disagrees.

Read it here.

UPDATE: And The Guardian  has even better news:

Bangkok climate talks end in recrimination

Global climate change talks came to an end in Bangkok today in an atmosphere of distrust and recrimination, with the rift between rich and poor countries seemingly wider than ever. After two weeks of negotiations there have been no breakthroughs on big issues such as money or emissions cuts.

With just five days of negotiating time now left before the concluding talks in Copenhagen in December, delegates said it appeared a weak deal was the most likely outcome, and no deal at all was a possibility.

We live in hope.

Read it here.