The Copenhagen climate summit is in chaos after poor countries walked out en masse on Monday morning.
The poor countries left negotiations because they are concerned that the Kyoto protocol, which aims to tackle climate change, will be abandoned. Some rich countries want a brand new climate treaty out of the Copenhagen summit to replace Kyoto.
But poor countries want to make sure the Kyoto protocol, which forces rich countries to limit their greenhouse has emissions, has a future.
Monday's walkout has left the summit in limbo as ministers, including Australia's Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, frantically try to fix the problem.
"It is regrettable that we appear to have reached a gridlock on process," Senator Wong told reporters from the conference centre, adding the situation was "most unfortunate".
"(This) is not a time to play procedural games."
She did not support the developing countries' focus on the need to commit now to a future for the Kyoto protocol.
"An extension only of the Kyoto Protocol is not going to achieve the environmental outcome the world needs," Senator Wong said.
Australia does not want the Kyoto Protocol to be the only vehicle to tackle climate change because it does not include the US, nor major developing countries like China and India.
Senator Wong said that without countries like China and India on board, global efforts to tackle climate change would not work.
She said the situation at the summit was "absolutely" salvageable.
"We can resolve these issues if nations have the political will."
Senator Wong is playing a high-profile role at the UN summit, which has entered its second week and is due to finish on Friday.
Together with her Indian counterpart, she was supposed to be leading special talks to try to resolve issues around the greenhouse targets of developing countries, and around international verification of countries' emissions.
Those talks are on hold now.
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