Climate change

France warns polluting countries of dangers of climate change

Article published on the 2008-04-18 Latest update 2008-04-21 09:24 TU

(AFP)

On Friday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy addressed a meeting of the world's most polluting countries. China, France, Germany, Russia, South Africa and the US were among the 16 countries represented; these countries account for 80 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

The French head of state linked climate change to security threats, claiming that this could be seen in the Darfur region as emigration forced people to move.

"If we go down this path, climate change will encourage the immigration of people with nothing towards areas where the population do have something and the Darfur crisis will be only one crisis among dozens of others," he declared.

Sarkozy announced that France would double its emergency food aid this year, to bring it to 60 million euros.

Progress had been made in Paris, said head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Yvo de Boer, but he added that there were still divergences between countries

South Africa sharply criticised US President George Bushn for calling on developing countries to make concessions on their demand that rich countries make the greatest contribution to reducing carbon emissions.