Climate isues sticking point

Brussels: Britain’s refusal to seal climate commitments in a new deal with the European Union to govern their relations after Brexit has become a stumbling block in their deadlocked talks.

While Britain has joined the global Paris agreement to fight climate change and has its own ambitious emissionscutting goals, London has refused to make binding commitments in the area in the new deal it is seeking with the EU from 2021.

‘‘This creates big problems with the level playing field and is increasingly politically sensitive in the EU,’’ an official from the 27nation bloc said.

‘‘The EU is trying to put this into the trade deal in another example of how it is seeking to continue influencing domestic UK policies,’’ a British official said. — Reuters