Binding climate treaty in Copenhagen deemed unlikely (Roundup)

Nov 6, 2009, 14:40 GMT

Barcelona - Negotiators from several European and developing countries stressed Friday the need for a legally binding treaty to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol but conceded such a deal may not be reached at the upcoming Copenhagen climate conference.

United Nations negotiators meeting in Barcelona wrapped up the last round of talks before the Copenhagen summit on December 7-18.

About 40 heads of state or government have confirmed their attendance in Copenhagen, UN top climate change official Yvo de Boer said.

An agreement in Copenhagen is 'now more important that ever,' said Anders Turesson, head of the Swedish delegation which holds the rotating European Union presidency.

The deal needed to be 'sufficiently concrete,' Turesson emphasized, joining de Boer in urging the United States to table figures on cutting its greenhouse emissions.

'It is very important for a deal in Copenhagen to have the biggest emitter there with a concrete figure,' Turesson said, calling for a legally binding treaty.

'There is a discussion going on right now whether that kind of legality is possible to achieve in Copenhagen,' he admitted.

The Copenhagen agreement must also contain 'the important contents of the future climate change regime,' Turesson said, expressing trust that such a deal was possible.

De Boer said he expected a non-binding political framework agreement on emission cuts and funding to help poorer countries adopt sustainable policies.

European Commission negotiator Artur Runge-Metzger also called for clear commitments.

'What is important in negotiations is that you also show your own cards,' he said. 'It is not a process where one (person) can always stand in the corner and wait for the other to take a step forward.'

The United States had refused to give figures on emission cuts in Barcelona while its Senate continued discussing draft legislation on the matter.

African and other developing countries were very critical of what they perceived as advanced industrialized countries' lack of political will to fight global warming.

Rich countries had 'reneged' on their promise to extend the Kyoto Protocol, South Africa's Alf Wills charged.

Activists of the environmental organization Greenpeace climbed up a statue of Christopher Columbus, saying he was pointing at the United States as the country 'most responsible for the approaching climate catastrophe.'

A hundred and fifty people around the world were Friday launching a hunger strike to press for an agreement in Copenhagen, representatives of a group called Climate Justice Now said.

The only chance of a strong agreement in Copenhagen was a last- minute summit between the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Brazil, China and Russia, according to some sources at the meeting.