No climate deal in sight

A lead US negotiator says two days of talks among 17 major economic powers in New York were "very constructive" in exploring ways to slow and cope with climate change. But no one expects a new, binding global pact anytime soon on reducing global warming gases.

Special climate envoy Todd Stern tells reporters that "no one is expecting or anticipating in any way a legal treaty to be done at Cancun this year."

At the annual U.N. climate conference in that Mexican resort later this year, some 190 nations will renew the flagging effort to negotiate a legally binding climate agreement.

Instead, they may come up with non-binding decisions for programs to protect climate-friendly forests, aid poorer countries to adapt to climate change, and provide clean-energy technology to developing nations.