Draft Danish text sparks anger and outrage at climate change talks in Copenhagen

A draft text on how to fund cuts in greenhouse gas emissions that was leaked to the Guardian newspaper has sparked anger and outrage at the Copenhagen climate talks.The so-called Danish text, in principle will give rich nations significant power over the billions of dollars to be distributed to poorer countries as part of the new climate change deal. Chairman of the G77 and China group, Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, (pictured) a diplomat and lead negotiator for Sudan said the Danish text, ‘was a violation of the principles of transparency and openness.’
He questioned the rationale behind Denmark’s ‘secret’ deal.

“We feel insulted by this deal. It’s unfair and not equitable."

“The Prime Minister is desperate for a success at any price here at Copenhagen. He needs to distinguish between his political career and his ambitions.
Ambassador Lumumba appealed to the U.S President, Barack Obama to use his influence to bring about a fair and equitable deal to ‘save Africa and the small island states, who will face the wrath of climate change.”
“The strategic Danish text is also being pursued by President Obama’s team here.
“I humbly ask President Obama that a new dawn of multilateralism that he promised the world should not be business as usual.
The chair of the powerful G77 and China also turned on the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon and exhorted him to ‘lead like a good sherperd and an honest broker.’
“He is not to be seen as advancing the interests of one power block, said Ambassador Lumumba.
Immediately after, the Danish host of the conference went on the offensive, telling the Danish press that the text could be one among many and didn’t represent the official government position.
"The Danish government meets with many different countries, both bilaterally and in groups, to discuss different scenarios and talk about different solutions,” said Danish host Connie Hedegaard. “There's nothing new in that."
International media reported that the text was guarded as top secret, and only existed in numbered copies that were handed out mainly in settings where the papers afterwards were taken back again.
Climate experts working for non-governmental organizations said the draft was a tactical mistake by the Danish hosts, drafted as a way to ensure United States participates in the talks. United States negotiators would like to see emerging economies, such as China and India, take “robust” actions to curb emissions. “It was a ploy to get a result by making sure that they could accommodate the US, and that was the wrong approach,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF Global Climate Initiative.
The draft includes the controversial goals of having global emissions peak by 2020, with the long-term goal of cutting them in half by 2050 — a target that’s strongly opposed by China, India and other developing nations because it would require those nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, rather than simply reducing their rates of growth.The text is now likely to be withdrawn because of its reception by China, India and many other developing countries. It suggests that rich countries are desperate for world leaders to have a text to work from when they arrive next week.
Makereta Komai
Climate Pasifika