The world leaders from around the world who will gather in South Africa on Monday to convene the annually UN climate talks are facing a clear but difficult target: cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce risks to humanity.

The latest around UN climate change conference is opening on Monday, Nov. 28 2011. [ditan360.com]

At the moment, countries are divided on two central questions: Should they embark on a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol, the current international climate pact? What sort of agreement should the world pursue by 2020?

Delegations will strive to reach a consensus in the last few days and hopefully hammer out legally binding agreements before the last minute.

"Climate change is a global threat that makes borders and politics irrelevant - and it needs a united response from the world's governments." said Samantha Smith, climate initiative leader of World Wild Fund for Nature. "Governments need to rewrite that story, and they need to start doing it in Durban."

A recent United Nations report said extreme weather such as droughts and flooding are likely to become more common due to climate change, which will push up food price and threaten vulnerable countries.

"Without urgent action to slash greenhouse gas emissions, crop yields could fall by more than 50% in some African countries within this generation or that of our children." Said Lv Mei, communications officer of Oxfam.

She said the United Nations Climate Change talks must deliver the global action which is needed to prevent a climate catastrophe.

Beginning on Monday, Nov. 28, the meeting will last two weeks. Xie Zhenhua, vice-director of the National Development and Reform Commission, and Su Wei, China's top climate change negotiator, led the Chinese delegation.

The most crucial decisions and negotiations on tough issues will happen at the ministerial level meeting in the second week when most environment ministers arrive.

Durban climate talks open on Monday