Negotiators struggle to overcome climate talks deadlock (Lead)
Copenhagen |Wednesday, 2009 6:35:06 PM IST
 

The chair of the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen sought to overcome deadlock Wednesday as thousands of protesters planned to storm the conference's venue.

A restricted group of 25 countries, among them Britain, Germany and four other European nations, were to discuss ways of helping the conference's presidency break the impasse, German Environment Minister Nobert Roettgen said.

Roettgen said major problems remained between the Danish presidency of the conference and the G77 group of developing nations, which includes big countries like India and China, but also smaller nations from Africa.

With more than 30 world leaders due to address the conference later in the day, Danish Prime Minister Anders Lokke Rasmussen was entrusted with conducting talks among environment ministers, while chairwoman Connie Hedegaard was to lead informal consultations.

Diplomats in Copenhagen denied Danish reports suggesting a new compromise text had been submitted to the nearly 200 delegations present in Copenhagen.

"We are extremely disappointed at the lack of progress," said a delegate from Tuvalu, whose Pacific island state risks being submerged by rising sea levels as a result of global warming.

"I have the feeling of dread that we are on the Titanic, and that we are sinking fast," he said.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) may raise its target on greenhouse gas emissions cuts to 25 percent in a bid to encourage other parties to step up their efforts, EU sources told DPA.

The 27-member bloc has already promised to reduce its emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

Prior to the start of the Copenhagen conference, the EU said it would raise its target to 30 percent, but only if other major polluters came up with comparable offers.

The US has so far offered a 17-percent cut against 2005 levels. However, an earlier base year implies deeper cuts. But US negotiators say their longer term targets are far more ambitious.

The improved EU offer would involve an unconditional cut of 25 or 26 percent by 2020, or 30 percent by 2025, according to the German edition of the Financial Times.

Britain and France had been among the EU countries pushing for an unconditional 30-percent offer in Copenhagen.

Speaking to the BBC earlier on Wednesday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the Copenhagen talks faced "huge" but "not insurmountable" challenges.

Brown also urged all sides to help seal a deal by Friday.

"We can't do it on our own, it's about the whole world coming together," Brown said.

Security was high at the Bella Centre, where Brown was to join Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and more than 30 other heads of state and government due to give speeches Wednesday.

Outside, police in anti-riot gear erected concrete barriers aimed at preventing thousands of activists from storming the conference's venue.

--DPA

snb/dg

( 477 Words)

2009-12-16-17:19:58 (IANS)

 

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