Representatives from Brazil, South Africa, India and China, known as the “BASIC” countries, served notice they intend to reject a Danish draft of a “political agreement” at the Copenhagen climate conference.
The Danish Prime Minister, who has spent the last month circulating the world to talk down prospects of a strong, legally binding deal in Copenhagen was in Trinidad and Tobago for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which recently wrapped up.
“Those who will suffer the most from climate change impacts are sending an ever stronger and clearer message to those who have done the most to cause them” said Kim Carstensen, leader of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Global Climate Initiative.
“We are not surprised the emerging economies have laid down this challenge for the developed world” said Carsetensen. “Quite frankly the Danish proposal is incredibly weak and the developing world aren’t gullible” she added.
Carstensen indicated the position of the BASIC countries is evidence of a “growing rebellion” against the weak commitments on emission cuts and climate financing from the developed world.
“The developed world needs to respond to the science with much deeper emissions cuts, much more new money on the table and much more willingness to share the technologies for low carbon development.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen runs from December 7-18, 2009.
