Emerging economies backing away from transparency at Copenhagen: Hillary

She also attacked emerging nations for reneging on promises to make national mitigation targets open to scrutiny.

“There have been occasions in this past year when all the major economies have committed to transparency,” Clinton said.

“Now that we are trying to define what transparency means and how we would both implement it and observe it,there’s a backing away from transparency and that to us is something that undermines the whole effort we’re engaged in,” she said.

Noting that the “difficult” climate talks had reached a “critical juncture,” she told a press conference that time was running out to reach a “common ground” and take a “historic step that we can all be proud of”.

As divisions sharpened between the developed and the developing nations on the way forward,Clinton said there should be no doubt about the commitment of the US in realising a successful agreement here at Copenhagen and meeting this great global challenge together. But stressed that ultimately “this must be a common effort”.