EU leaders discuss climate change deal contribution

Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:48pm EDT

* EU leaders to agree basis of financial contributions

* Danish PM says EU must continue to play lead role

* Environmentalists criticise EU for lack of ambition



By Pete Harrison

BRUSSELS, June 18 (Reuters) - European Union leaders will agree the basis of its financial contribution to a global climate change deal by the end of Friday, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen, whose country hosts talks in Copenhagen in December where the deal should be clinched, urged EU leaders to ensure they continue to play a lead role on climate change at a time when the United States was gaining momentum in tackling global warming.

His comments followed criticism by environmentalists who said EU leaders lacked ambition with their draft position at a two-day summit that started on Thursday.

"To let Europe drop behind would be a mistake," he said as he and other EU leaders met for the two-day summit in Brussels. "We should maintain leadership towards reaching an ambitious global climate agreement."

Rasmussen said Europe had made steady progress on agreeing funding for poor nations -- whose support will be sought at the Copenhagen talks for fighting a problem which they say was caused by rich, industrialised states.

"Today or tomorrow we will agree a number of fundamental principles setting out the terms for our financial contributions," Rasmussen said.

The summit is intended mainly to focus on the economic crisis and financial regulation. The crisis has at times threatened to derail EU progress on fighting climate change, but Rasmussen remained upbeat.

"In a few months, I am confident we will reach a final decision on all aspects of financing," he added.

Greenpeace campaigner Joris den Blanken said international preparations for the Copenhagen talks were deadlocked over the lack of clear financial commitments and called for more haste.

"If the EU doesn't take the first steps, then there will be no progress," he added.

EU finance experts say poor countries will by 2020 need about 100 billion euros ($140 billion) each year to cut carbon dioxide emissions, and a further 20-50 billion euros to cope with the impact on the climate.

But the EU has not said how much it could provide.

Such adaptation funding might help develop drought-resistant crops or find new sources of water as rising temperatures deplete the glaciers on which millions of people depend for summer meltwater.

"The main principles of contribution should be the ability to pay and the responsibility for emissions," said draft conclusions from the EU summit.

"All countries, except the least developed, should contribute to the financing of the fight against climate change in developing countries," the draft added.






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