China and Brazil led a call from developing nations in saying that Japan’s decision to walk away from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol undermines negotiations for a global warming accord, Bloomberg reported. "The Kyoto Protocol is the very basis of the framework to address climate change through international cooperation," China’s envoy Su Wei said at the UN climate talks in Cancun. "If the pillar [collapses], you can guess the consequences." The comments highlight the possibility that this year’s discussions will fail to reach an agreement on combating climate change, ending like the Copenhagen round last year. While the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, delegates are seeking a way to reduce fossil fuel emissions that are blamed for damaging the atmosphere. Japan’s negotiator Kunihiko Shimada late last month said the protocol was "outdated" since it only covers 27% of global emissions and that his country will not accept a second commitment period.