In a Reversal, U.S. Won’t Block Climate Compensation for Poor Nations

The negotiations were rancorous at times. Earlier in the week, Diego Pacheco Balanza, Bolivia’s chief negotiator, criticized developed countries for failing to live up to past promises to provide $100 billion per year in climate aid by 2020 (they are still tens of billions of dollars short) and for insisting that poor countries needed to do more to cut their emissions at a time when the United States and Europe have been expanding fossil fuel supplies.

“Developed countries talk a lot, but in practice they do very little,” Mr. Pacheco Balanza said. “We are still waiting for the $100 billion per year.”

On Saturday morning, Frans Timmermans, the European Union’s negotiator, said that European countries “are prepared to walk away if we do not have a result that does justice to what the world is waiting for — namely that we do something about this climate crisis.”

One of the biggest obstacles to a deal at this year’s talks, negotiators said, is the chaotic management style of the Egyptian hosts, whose job it is to understand the concerns of each country and then broker a deal.

Diplomats complained that the Egyptian presidency held middle-of-the-night meetings and allowed delegates to see only snippets of potential text. Technical issues with sound delayed negotiating sessions. Lack of easy access to food and water also slowed down progress; negotiators had to hunt for sandwiches and coffee in the sprawling venue.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this in 25 years,” said one longtime delegate, who asked not to be identified because talks were still ongoing. The delegate called the process “untransparent, chaotic, unpredictable.”

Mr. Meyer, who has attended all but one of the 27 United Nations climate summits, said, “No matter what happens, the Egyptians get a share of the blame for this process. The key is to engage parties early, to build trust, to identify landing zones. The Egyptians waited very late in the game to do any of that. They’ve essentially given parties a few days to try and work magic.”

“I’m not sure Houdini could’ve solved it,” said Mr. Meyer. “But, let me know if you see Houdini walking around in the halls.”