Climate negotiators agreed Saturday on an ambitious agenda for talks they hope will lead to a global warming pact, overcoming a dispute between Japan and developing countries on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The schedule came after five days of marathon talks in Bangkok and requires negotiators to settle contentious issues, including how countries will cut emissions and how rich nations will help the poor adapt to climate change.

“Not only do we have the certainty that critical issues will be addressed this year, we now have the bite-sized chunks which will allow us to negotiate in an effective manner,” U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer said.

Delegates also welcomed the agreement but warned significant disagreements remain over demands from the U.S. and Japan for developing countries to accept binding targets as part of a pact to stabilize greenhouse gases in the next 10 to 15 years and cut them in half by 2050.

“We can live with the work program but the negotiations ahead will be tough, very tough,” said Prodipto Ghosh, a member of the Indian delegation. “There are wide divergences between different groups over the nature of the conclusions to be reached.”

Talks had bogged down because of developing nations’ opposition to discussion of a Japanese proposal to set industry-specific emissions reduction targets. Developing nations want rich countries to agree to set national targets first.

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