Climate change deal must be global priority, says Darling

World leaders have been urged not to let money stand in the way of a global deal on climate change.


The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December has been billed as humanity’s last chance to stop global warming by reducing greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

But negotiators meeting in Barcelona this week for the latest round of negotiations have admitted that any meaningful deal is unlikely until the end of next year because the US and other rich nations will not commit to cutting carbon emissions.

Finance ministers meeting in St Andrews Scotland for the G20 Summit this weekend now represent new hope for any progress on a deal by promising money to help the poorer nations adapt to climate change and cut their own emissions.

Chancellor Alistair Darling said countries must come together to protect “the common good”.

"We either take action and stop those problems happening or we fail to take action and we face bigger costs down the line,” he said.

"My message to my fellow finance ministers is there's a job of work to be done here. I don't think anyone seriously denies there's a problem here. Let's get on with it."

It was hoped any deal from Copenhagen at the end of the year would commit the globe to cutting carbon, but until the US signs up to targets the rest of the world will be unwilling to follow.

However climate finance, a key part of the deal could be worked out in time for December.

Developing countries, that will be the biggest emitters in the future, want around £250 billion per annum to help them cut emissions by switching from fossil fuels to clean development like wind and solar. The money will also help vulnerable countries like small island states adapt to climate change.

At the moment this amount of money is unlikely but developed countries could commit to a substantial sum in order to keep the talks on track.

The European Union has suggested the world pays £90 billion per annum from 2020, with around half coming from public funds.

Mr Darling said the UK would contribute its “fair share” by contributing around £1 billion per annum to the fund.

"People, not just in governments throughout the world but, more importantly, people in countries around the world, want us to be actually taking action now to deal with a present problem - that's the damaging effects of climate change,” he said.

"So there's a lot of work to be done still, a lot of heavy lifting, a lot of arguments still to be won but that's an important part of this weekend."

Agnes Kithikii, a climate risk reduction officer for aid agency CAFOD, said any money from rich countries must be separate to aid or the talks are in danger of collapsing once again.

“People are dying right now due to climate change and more people will die because of the delay in reaching a legally binding agreement this December in Copenhagen," she said. "The US, EU, Australia and Canada and other rich countries are denying the poorest and most vulnerable people the right to a future.”