Copenhagen conference - draft deal

First draft on climate change unveiled

Article published on the 2009-12-11 Latest update 2009-12-11 12:48 TU

A large globe in a square in Copenhagen
(Photo: Reuters)

The first official draft for a deal on combating climate change has been unveiled at the Copenhagen summit next week. The blueprint limits global warming to 1.5 to two degrees Celsius. Meanwhile European Union nations have promised 7.2 billion euros in climate change aid.

The draft document, seen by the AFP news agency, is expected to be submitted to environment ministers with the aim of reaching agreement at a summit on 18 December. If endorsed, it will take over from the Kyoto protocol in 2013.

Island states and African nations are backing the lower figure, with some telling the Guardian newspaper that they will not sign a deal which goes higher.

But most rich or emerging countries back a two degree target.

The agreement, put forward by the Ad-hoc Working Group on Long Term Co-operative Action, is likely to be followed by talks in 2010 to decide on the details.

While it contains many brackets which denote disagreement,the draft insists that, “parties shall co-operate to avoid dangerous climate change”.

“The increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed two to 1.5 Celsius,” it adds.

The draft text proposes three possible targets for the reduction of emissions by 2020, compared with 1990 levels: by 50 per cent, 80 per cent or 95 per cent.

Meanwhile, European Union countries have agreed to give 7.2 billion euros to developing countries to deal with the affects of climate change.

Voluntary pledges from all 27 EU member states equal around 2.4 billion euros a year and are intended to help developing countries adapt to global warming.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy also demanded that an agreement in Copenhagen be legally binding within six months. They called for 30 per cent lower carbon emissions by 2020 and 25 per cent reduction in deforestation by 2015.

The two leaders also said they would increase their pledges “if others are equally ambitious in Copenhagen”.

Sarkozy said, “what’s expensive is doing nothing […] what is costly is immobility, is failure”.