Nations at Odds on Rio+20 Earth Summit

The final round of negotiations leading up to next week's Rio+20 summit begins with countries very much at odds on key issues. The draft agreement would improve energy, water and food security in poorer countries, phase out fossil fuel subsidies and boost ocean protection. But with three days of negotiations left, only 20% has been agreed. The draft has been criticized in some quarters as being too lenient on businesses, especially major banks and commodity corporations.

One source close to the talks told BBC News that negotiators had been talking about punctuation, not principles. The summit is widely seen as a crucial opportunity for leaders to put the global economy on a more sustainable footing.