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Act now on climate, summit urged Act now on climate, summit urged
(9 minutes later)
Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen has described the UN climate summit in Copenhagen as an "opportunity the world cannot afford to miss".Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen has described the UN climate summit in Copenhagen as an "opportunity the world cannot afford to miss".
Opening the two-week conference in the Danish capital, he told delegates from 192 countries a "strong and ambitious climate change agreement" was needed.Opening the two-week conference in the Danish capital, he told delegates from 192 countries a "strong and ambitious climate change agreement" was needed.
About 100 leaders are to attend the meeting, which aims to reach agreement on supplanting the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. About 100 leaders are to attend the meeting, which aims to strike a deal on major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
The UN says an unprecedented number of countries have promised emissions cuts.The UN says an unprecedented number of countries have promised emissions cuts.
AT THE SCENE Richard Black, BBC environment correspondentAT THE SCENE Richard Black, BBC environment correspondent
Even before the talks officially opened, fault lines between the various blocs here appeared to be widening. Despite some seductive mood music this morning, sombre notes were also sounded in the opening bars of this two-week conference.
Although UN climate convention head Yvo de Boer said things were in "excellent shape", with more countries than ever before proposing emission cuts, two big questions hang over these proposals: will they be acceptable to the developing world, and are they enough to prevent "dangerous" climate change? The first formal sign of a discord between various parties surfaced in the opening session. The head of the Grenadan delegation said the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS) would "consider their options" if a legally-binding deal did not materialise here.
At this stage, the answers appear to be "no" and "maybe". The UN Environment Programme calculates that cuts on the table are nearly enough if every country turns its most ambitious pledges into action. It appears that this bloc of 43 countries may simply not sign a deal that they believe votes their nations out of existence.
But other analyses suggest there is still a significant gap between what scientists say is necessary and what is on offer politically. Some people here raise the point that small countries can be easily "bought off" by aid money or trade, or bullied into conformity, by their larger brethren.
That is of great concern to governments that feel themselves on the "front line" of climate impacts. Surely history indicates that is true; but if you perceive that the end of your nation is in sight as sea levels rise, perhaps that changes the usual terms of business. class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/2009/12/climate_visions_a_widening_div.html">More from Richard Black
class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/2009/12/climate_visions_a_widening_div.html">More from Richard Black Although new pledges on emissions cuts by the United States, India and China ahead of the Copenhagen summit had raised hopes of a meaningful deal, BBC environment correspondent Richard Black says signs of disagreement are already apparent.
Mr Rasmussen told delegates that the world was looking to the conference to safeguard humanity. He reports that the Association of Small Island States, who have most to lose from rising sea levels, has strongly suggested that its 43 members will not sign a deal that they believe votes their nations out of existence.
"For the next two weeks," he said, "Copenhagen will be Hopenhagen. By the end, we must be able to deliver back to the world what was granted us here today: hope for a better future." This would suggest they want a process that puts the world on course to a warming of 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures, significantly lower than any deal envisaged by the major economies.
Later, Rajendra Pachauri, who heads the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), criticised the "climategate" affair - the recent publication of e-mails among scientists assessing global warming at Britain's University of East Anglia. In July, the G8 bloc of industrialised countries and some major developing countries adopted a target of keeping the global average temperature rise since pre-industrial times to 2C.
He said the breaches showed "that some would go to the extent of carrying out illegal acts, perhaps in an attempt to discredit the IPCC". Meanwhile, the African Union representative has threatened to walk out of the talks unless industrialised countries help poor ones pay for the transition to cleaner economies.
Saudi climate negotiator Mohammad Al-Sabban, who has been resisting emissions curbs, told the conference that trust in climate science had been "shaken" by the leaked e-mails. The main areas for discussion at Copenhagen include:
  • Targets to curb greenhouse gas emissions, in particular by developed countries
  • Financial support for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change by developing countries
  • A carbon trading scheme aimed at ending the destruction of the world's forests by 2030.
Any agreement made at Copenhagen is intended to supplant the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which expires in 2012.
World leaders who have pledged to attend include US President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
'Immediate action'
In his opening remarks, the Danish prime minister told delegates that the world was looking to the conference to safeguard humanity.
Rajendra Pachauri, IPCC chairman: "These e-mails don't change anything"
"By the end, we must be able to deliver back to the world what was granted us here today: hope for a better future," Mr Rasmussen said.
UN climate convention head Yvo de Boer said the time had come to deliver cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.UN climate convention head Yvo de Boer said the time had come to deliver cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
"The time for formal statements is over. The time for re-stating well-known positions is past," he told delegates."The time for formal statements is over. The time for re-stating well-known positions is past," he told delegates.
"Copenhagen will only be a success if it delivers significant and immediate action.""Copenhagen will only be a success if it delivers significant and immediate action."

COPENHAGEN IN BRIEF

  • 192 countries attending talks, including about 100 heads of state
  • To discuss emissions cuts and financial measures to combat climate change
  • Danish PM urges delegates to deliver "hope for the future"
  • South Africa is the latest country to make emissions offer
  • Due to end 18 December
Updated: 13:03 GMT, 7 December
Connie Hedegaard, conference president and Denmark's former climate minister, said: "This is our chance. If we miss it, it could take years before we got a new and better one. If we ever do."Connie Hedegaard, conference president and Denmark's former climate minister, said: "This is our chance. If we miss it, it could take years before we got a new and better one. If we ever do."
Tougher targets?
Mr de Boer said offers of finance for clean technology for poor countries were also coming through and that talks were progressing on a long-term vision of massive cuts by 2050.
At the deal's heart must be a settlement between the rich world and the developing world Jointly written editorial in 56 newspapers in 45 countries BBC poll: Climate fears on rise
On Monday, South Africa became the latest country to make an offer - saying it would cut by one-third the growth of its carbon emissions over the next decade, subject to getting more funding and help from wealthier countries.
In July, the G8 bloc of industrialised countries and some major developing countries adopted a target of keeping the global average temperature rise since pre-industrial times to 2C.
However now the G77/China bloc - which speaks on behalf of developing countries - is discussing whether to demand a much tougher target of 1.5C.
Rajendra Pachauri, IPCC chairman: "These e-mails don't change anything"
A number of African delegations are backing the argument made by small island states that 2C will bring major impacts to their countries.
BBC environment correspondent Richard Black says this would raise a huge obstacle, because none of the industrialised countries have put forward emission cuts in the range that would be required to meet a 1.5C target.
The African Union has threatened to walk out of the talks if industrialised countries do not agree to help poor ones pay for the transition to cleaner economies.
Tougher targets?
Meanwhile, a new poll commissioned by the BBC suggests that public concern over climate change is growing across the world.Meanwhile, a new poll commissioned by the BBC suggests that public concern over climate change is growing across the world.

COPENHAGEN IN BRIEF

  • 192 countries attending talks, including about 100 heads of state
  • To discuss emissions cuts and financial measures to combat climate change
  • Danish PM urges delegates to deliver "hope for the future"
  • South Africa is the latest country to make emissions offer
  • Due to end 18 December
Updated: 13:03 GMT, 7 December
In the survey, by Globescan, 64% of people questioned said that they considered global warming a very serious problem - up 20% from a 1998 poll.In the survey, by Globescan, 64% of people questioned said that they considered global warming a very serious problem - up 20% from a 1998 poll.
To stress the importance of the summit, 56 newspapers in 45 countries are publishing the same editorial on Monday, warning that climate change will "ravage our planet" unless action is agreed, the London-based Guardian reported.To stress the importance of the summit, 56 newspapers in 45 countries are publishing the same editorial on Monday, warning that climate change will "ravage our planet" unless action is agreed, the London-based Guardian reported.
The editorial - to be published in 20 languages - was thrashed out by editors ahead of the Copenhagen talks, the newspaper said. href="/nol/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/09/climate_change_glossary/css/climate_change_glossary.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

CLIMATE CHANGE GLOSSARY

class="arr" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8314171.stm">Glossary in full
The editorial - published in 20 languages - was thrashed out by editors ahead of the Copenhagen talks, the newspaper said.
"At the deal's heart must be a settlement between the rich world and the developing world," the editorial says."At the deal's heart must be a settlement between the rich world and the developing world," the editorial says.
Environmental activists are planning to hold protests in Copenhagen and around the world on 12 December to encourage delegates to reach the strongest possible deal.Environmental activists are planning to hold protests in Copenhagen and around the world on 12 December to encourage delegates to reach the strongest possible deal.

CLIMATE CHANGE GLOSSARY

Glossary in full
Any agreement made at Copenhagen is intended to supplant the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which expires in 2012.
World leaders who have pledged to attend include US President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The main areas for discussion include:
  • Targets to curb greenhouse gas emissions, in particular by developed countries
  • Financial support for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change by developing countries
  • A carbon trading scheme aimed at ending the destruction of the world's forests by 2030.