UN climate talks ended in a whimper yesterday without progress on the pressing issues of emission cuts for wealthy nations or financing lor the developing ones, both of which are crucial to (each inga global warming pact.

Negotiations have been deadlocked for months and delegates have raised doubts whether a new climate pact to rein in greenhouse gases can be reached by the time world leaders gather in Copenhagen in December. I he pact would replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Rather than addressing the tough issues, UN climate chief Yvo de Boer said late Thursday that the failure by rich countries to agree on ambitious emission cuts and billions of dollars in financing to help poor countries adapt to climatechange has increased the distrust between the two sides.

"The stark reality out there is that unless we sec an advance on the key political issues, it is very difficult for negotiators in this process to continue their work in good faith," de Boer said.

Even before the talks ended Friday, environmentalists including the World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace were already criticizing the United States, the European Union. Australia and Canada for failing to deliver on the key pieces required for any new climate pact.

"We can’t continue to waste time on missing political man-dates," the WWF’s Kim Carstensen said. "My concern is that without political clarity from capitals on issues like finance (and) emission reduction targets ... the next meeting in Barcelona will be another talk shop without the political breakthroughs we need."