Experts wrangle over wording in U.N. climate report

By Jeff Mason

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Climate experts sparred on Thursday over the wording of a U.N. report spelling out the grim impact of global warming and are struggling to meet a Friday deadline.

Delegates from more than 100 countries convened in Brussels this week to discuss the report and have yet to agree on all its contents, less than 24 hours before its scheduled Friday release, people familiar with the talks said.

It predicts rising temperatures will lead to more hunger in Africa, the melting of Himalayan glaciers, more heatwaves in the United States and damage to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

"There is wrangling happening," said Hans Verolme, director of the global climate change programme at WWF, an environmental group that is an observer to the meeting.

"There are some who are questioning the scientific basis ... of some of the summary statements, which is leading the authors to have to go back to the underlying document."

The U.N. panel's report is the most authoritative study since 2001 on the regional impact of climate change.

Verolme said the fact world leaders would read the report's summary had added pressure for consensus on the wording.

"There is discussion whether something is 'likely' or 'very likely', and my sense is that is because people are aware here that heads of state are paying attention," he said.