20091216

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - World leaders took the stage at the largest ever climate talks on Wednesday as ministers scrambled to rescue troubled negotiations on a pact to avoid dangerous global warming.

Police using truncheons and pepper spray detained 230 people outside the conference centre in Copenhagen as hundreds of protesters demanding tough action on climate change tried to push through barricades, a Reuters reporter said.

Inside, frustration was growing over the lack of progress after nearly two weeks of talks to try to agree on steps by all nations to try to expand or replace the existing Kyoto Protocol.

India's environment minister said the Kyoto pact was in "intensive care" two days before heads of state from around the globe are expected to agree a deal to slow rising temperatures set to cause heat waves, floods, desertification and rising seas. He blamed rich nations for trying to sideline the pact.

A formal summit of more than 120 world leaders will be held on Thursday and Friday to try to break the deadlock on who should cut greenhouse gas emissions, by how much and who should pay.

But some delegates in the main plenary meeting on Wednesday said an agreement was far away.

"Tuvalu are extremely disappointed by the lack of progress," on extending the Kyoto Protocol, said Ian Fry. Tuvalu is among the most vulnerable low-lying island states at risk of disappearing as seas rise.

"It's time to save this process," he said.