Momentum builds for Copenhagen climate deal

Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen walks with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Port-of-Spain November 27, 2009.

PORT OF SPAIN (Reuters) - World leaders on Friday rallied to a diplomatic offensive to forge a U.N. climate deal in Copenhagen next month and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said an agreement was "within reach".

"Our common goal is to achieve a firm foundation for a legally binding climate treaty as early as possible in 2010. I am confident that we are on track to do this," Ban told a summit of Commonwealth leaders in Trinidad and Tobago.

"Each week brings new commitments and pledges -- from industrialized countries, emerging economies and developing countries alike," he added.

"An agreement is within reach ... We must seal a deal in Copenhagen," Ban said.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the deal would be a turning point in the fight against global warming.

Addressing the Commonwealth leaders, Rasmussen said Denmark had received an "overwhelmingly positive" response to its invitation to world leaders to attend the December 7-18 U.N. climate talks. "More than 85 heads of state and government have told us they are coming to Copenhagen, and many are still positively considering," he said.

Rasmussen urged major developed countries to deliver firm commitments on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and to "put figures on the table" for "up-front" financing to help poor nations combat climate change.

"We cannot afford to waste the strong momentum pointing toward Copenhagen. We cannot risk turning climate change into another international issue negotiated into infinity. We must deliver to our citizens in Copenhagen," he added, speaking at a special session on climate change at the Commonwealth summit.

'CANNOT WAIT UNTIL 2013'

Earlier, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for the creation of a $10 billion-a-year fund to help developing countries battle the effects of global warming, proposing that such financing be made available as early as next year, well before any new climate deal takes effect.

"We face a climate emergency: we cannot wait until 2013 to begin taking action," Brown said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who attended the Commonwealth meeting as a special guest along with Rasmussen and U.N. chief Ban, also made a similar financing proposal. Sarkozy called for efforts to achieve an "ambitious global accord in Copenhagen".

Most nations have given up hopes of finalizing a detailed legal treaty text in Copenhagen, but prospects for achieving a broad political framework pact have been brightened this week by public promises of greenhouse gas curbs by China and the United States, the world's biggest emitters.

Taking an upbeat view, Rasmussen said: "A strong deal -- sealed at the leaders level -- will serve as a clear and detailed guidance for negotiators to quickly finalize a legal framework."

"Copenhagen is capable of delivering the turning point we all want. We know the problem. We know the solutions. We know what we need to do. From here on it's a matter of political will," he said.

CALL FOR 'FIGURES ON THE TABLE'

The 53-nation Commonwealth group, which represents more than a quarter of the global population, bringing together wealthy nations like Britain, Canada and Australia with some of the world's smallest states, launched a diplomatic push on Friday to drum up momentum for a comprehensive climate deal in Copenhagen.

"On this, the eve of the U.N. Copenhagen summit on climate change, the Commonwealth has an opportunity to lead once more," Britain's Queen Elizabeth, who heads the group comprising mostly former British colonies, said at the opening of the three-day summit.

Nearly half of the Commonwealth's members are small island states which are directly threatened by rising sea levels caused by global warming, and developing nations are appealing for financial aid from rich governments to help them counter climate change and reduce carbon pollution.

The political accord the United Nations is aiming for in Copenhagen would cover tougher emissions targets, climate financing for poorer nations and transfer of clean-energy technology.

"This will necessitate up-front financing. We cannot leave Copenhagen without major countries putting figures on the table -- and industrialized countries must lead the way," Rasmussen said.

The Commonwealth is putting at the forefront of the climate debate the cases of tiny island states like the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and Tuvalu and Kiribati in the Pacific, whose existence would be threatened by rises in ocean levels.

Recognizing what he called this "immediate existential threat" to such small, vulnerable states, Rasmussen said these "cannot afford the luxury of a failure in Copenhagen".

The climate treaty, now expected to be adopted as a final text only next year, will replace the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012.

(Additional reporting by Emmanuel Jarry; editing by Mohammad Zargham)