A 12-day U.N. conference on climate change began in Lima on Monday, with representatives of more than 190 countries and regions seeking a broad agreement by the end of next year to develop a new global framework in 2020 to fight global warming.
At the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework on Climate Change, or COP20, participants plan to discuss elements that will comprise the new framework.
They are also expected to specify which items will be included in their post-2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target before presenting the goals by the end of March in preparation for COP21 to be held in Paris late next year.
Ahead of the Lima talks, some major greenhouse gas emitters have already shown their commitment to combating climate change, with the European Union having announced its emissions reduction target in October, followed by the United States and China in November.
Negotiations are set to be complicated by participants' differing expectations of the new framework.
While developed countries are focused more on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, some developing countries claim measures to avoid negative impact of climate change and financial assistance to vulnerable nations should be included in the goals.
Adverse effects from climate change include rising sea levels and torrential rain.
Japan lags behind other major emitters in discussing its emissions reduction target, as the country hit by the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis has yet to decide on its future energy policy. Tokyo has not indicated when it will present the emissions-cut target.