Brazil and France call for climate concessions

In a joint document, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and  President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil urged rich  industrialised countries to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by  at least 80 per cent from their 1990 levels by 2050.

They called on emerging countries to seek low carbon growth  and to take steps to slow the rate at which their greenhouse gas  emissions rise by 2050, with “substantial” financial help from  richer countries.

“We will not accept a situation where we agree these  measures and other countries say: ‘We’ll see tomorrow’,” Sarkozy  told a joint news conference.

“This is a collective responsibility.”

Just before the meeting in Paris, Brazil pledged to cut its  greenhouse gas emissions by between 36.1 per cent and 38.9  per cent, largely by controlling deforestation in the Amazon  region, a decision praised by Sarkozy.

Lula told reporters the document signed with Sarkozy was  “more than a declaration of intent, it is a climate bible” and  the two leaders said the United States and China had to show  more boldness in accepting commitments at Copenhagen.

Responsibilities

US President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Hu Jintao,  whose two countries are the world’s biggest emitters of  greenhouse gases, are due to meet next week to seek common  ground on climate change.

But as the deadline for the Dec. 7-18 climate change meeting  in Copenhagen approaches, Sarkozy and Lula, who will both be at  Copenhagen, said they could not be allowed to settle matters  between themselves.

“We cannot allow President Obama and President Hu Jintao to  celebrate an accord which only takes the economic realities of  their two countries into account,” Lula said.

He said he would telephone Obama to discuss the joint  Franco-Brazilian initiative as part of a diplomatic offensive in  which he and Sarkozy will try to drum up support before the  Copenhagen summit.

Sarkozy said he would not accept a “minimal” accord at  Copenhagen and would insist on firm commitments from the world’s  biggest carbon emitters.

“You know the friendship that France has for the United  States of America and the confidence I have in President Obama,  but the world’s biggest economy has to face up to its  responsibilities,” he said.

Some 190 nations will meet in Copenhagen, but talks so far  have been clouded by disputes between rich and developing  nations and hopes have faded for a legally binding framework to  stave off dangerous levels of global warming that scientists say  could bring rising seas, more droughts, heatwaves and floods.

Sarkozy, who will discuss the initiative with German  Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, said he hoped to travel to  Brazil and Africa and would attend the Commonwealth summit in  Trinidad and Tobago at the end of the month to press his case.