Europe stands in the way of fair climate agreement

EUROPE STANDS IN WAY OF FAIR CLIMATE AGREEMENT
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Brussels, October 30, 2009 - The prospect of the world reaching a fair
and just climate agreement is no closer today after European Union
leaders showed total inadequacy to live up to their legal, moral and
historical responsibilities for climate change.

At a summit in Brussels, Heads of State discussed the position Europe
will take to United Nations climate talks in Copenhagen in December.
Developing nations were desperately hoping the meeting would put forward
adequate figures for the contribution the EU will make to help them
mitigate their emissions and adapt to the consequences of a changing
climate, and thereby give much-needed momentum to the international
negotiations.

But heads of state failed to specify how much Europe is prepared to pay
as its share of the finance needed. The meeting only endorsed inadequate
global figures and failed to state that the finance needed should be new
and additional money to existing development aid.

To help developing countries mitigate their emissions and adapt to the
consequences of climate change the EU needs to contribute a minimum of
35 billion Euros per year by 2020.

Sonja Meister, climate campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth
Europe, said: "Europe has failed once again to say how much it is
prepared to contribute for climate finance. Heads of state only cited
global figures which are completely inadequate, as are the targets they
have set for cutting emissions. In every way the EU is shirking its
historical responsibilities and blocking progress towards the just and
fair agreement the world needs in Copenhagen.

"Europe needs to act in line with science and the principle of climate
justice. Before Copenhagen our governments have to commit to cut
emissions by at least 40% domestically by 2020 and to provide the EU's
fair share of the funding for adaptation and mitigation in developing
countries."