Presence of world leaders 'paralysed' climate summit, UN letter claims

[CHIMO]

A leaked letter from the United Nations' climate chief suggests the Copenhagen climate summit failed because the presence of 130 world leaders paralysed decision-making and the Danish presidency backed the US and other western nations over the interests of the poor.

The revelations – made as the UN climate talks resume in Bonn tomorrow – come in Yvo de Boer's candid letter, written to colleagues days after the summit broke up in acrimony in December.

More than 130 world leaders had been persuaded by Britain and other countries to go to Denmark, where they were expected to put the finishing touches to a historic global agreement to limit carbon emissions, protect forests and put in place a mechanism to transfer billions of dollars from rich to poor countries each year. Instead, they arrived at a summit seething with mistrust.

According to De Boer, who will leave the UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) in the next few months, the diplomatic debacle began to unfold when Denmark presented a one-sided draft agreement to a few select countries just before the start of the meeting.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/30/copenhagen-climate-talks-united-nations-letter

[Admiral Loinpresser]

1. Thank you.

One more piece of evidence that Obama is the Neville Chamberlain of our age. But damn, he gives great speeches!