Updated: Walkout throws Copenhagen into crisis

The G77 group of developing nations staged a mass walkout at the Copenhagen summit this morning, accusing rich nations of trying to ditch the Kyoto Protocol.

After several days of escalating tensions over perceived efforts by industrialised countries to replace Kyoto with a new deal, a group of African nations led a boycott of the summit's main session. The move immediately secured the backing of the G77 group of 130 developing nations.

Senior UN officials sought to minimise the damage done by the protest and a deal has reportedly been brokered that will see formal negotiations continue from this afternoon.

In a hastily convened press conference, the UN's Yvo de Boer signaled that the Kyoto Protocol would continue be discussed, adding that informal talks between ministers were still ongoing and that he expected the formal negotiations to resume shortly.

"The vast majority of countries here want to see the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol," he said. "I'm not aware that any countries are trying to block anything."

Australian climate change minister Penny Wong told Reuters that the walkout was "regrettable", but insisted that it was "a walkout over process and form, not a walkout over substance".

"A range of developing countries have expressed their concerns and acted accordingly. This is not the time for people to play procedural games. We need to resolve the process issues and get onto the substance," she added.

However, Kamel Djemouai, an Algerian official who heads the African group, told reporters that rich nations' opposition to a continuation of Kyoto meant they were willing "to accept the death of the only one legally binding instrument that exists now" to cut emissions.

Industrialised nations have been pushing for Kyoto to be replaced by a new deal that would include all nations and impose some binding requirements on emerging economies. However, poorer nations are deeply suspicious of the proposal, fearing that it will water down emission reduction requirements for industrialised countries.

Djemouai called for "two-track" negotiations that would extend Kyoto for rich nations, including the US which never ratified the original Kyoto Protocol, and deliver a new agreement to govern poorer countries' efforts to curb emissions.

Following a series of urgent meetings, Djemouai's proposal appeared to be accepted, with the Guardian reporting that a provisional agreement has been brokered to continue the talks on two tracks.

De Boer warned that a compromise needed to be reached on the future of Kyoto, noting that "if we try to end the Kyoto protocol now or in the next year, we face the risk of no second commitment period for 35 per cent of the emissions".

"The developing countries have won this round," Lumumba Di-Aping, chief negotiator of the G77 told the Guardian. "Two texts will be presented to heads of state to sign. We won because Africa and other countries stood up."

In related news, Gordon Brown said he would attend the Copenhagen summit from tomorrow night, making him the first world leader to arrive at the talks.

"I think that it's a sign of the seriousness with which he takes this issue and I think it's a sign that the negotiations are moving too slowly," energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband told reporters in Copenhagen this morning. "My very clear feeling is that ministers and negotiators need to start getting their act together."