MANILA -- Chances of coming up with an updated and comprehensive climate change accord got higher as an environmental group pressed on Southeast Asian countries to develop a strong voice in the global stage.

This as Greenpeace warned that the world experienced more consequences of changing climate such as high temperatures, heavy natural disasters, and near-record melting sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.

“From stumbling blocks to building blocks, governments in Cancun have demonstrated that they can cooperate and can move forward to achieve a global deal to save the climate,” said Shailendra Yashwant, campaign director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

Delegates from member-countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-16) were in Cancun from November 29 to December 10 to discuss a new climate change accord that would succeed the 1997 Kyoto protocol in 2012.

At the conclusion of the Cancun meeting, Greenpeace said governments noticed the gap between their current weak pledges and where they need to get to.

The group said countries reaffirmed their commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions between 25 and 40 percent by 2020 as well as keeping the global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)