Copenhagen may fail to produce climate agreement warns Miliband

Climate change secretary Ed Miliband has warned that the world's leaders could fail to reach agreement on measures to tackle climate change at the the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen.

Speaking while on a tour of European capitals this week to garner agreement ahead of Copenhagen, Miliband warned that a global deal on climate change from the talks in December was "in the balance", according to BBC reports.

However Miliband did go on to support the role of that Europe could play in uniting global leaders on climate change and described the EU as a "force multiplier".

Miliband's comments coincide with an announcement this week from the European Commission that it is "scaling-up" the finance available to developing countries to help them combat climate change.

According to the EC, by 2020 developing countries are likely to face annual costs of around €100bn (£87.6bn) to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

"Much of the finance needed will have to come from domestic sources and an expanded international carbon market, but international public financing of some €22-50bn a year is also likely to be necessary," the EC said in a statement on Thursday.

EC president José Manuel Barroso, who is seeking re-election and touting climate change as part of his bid for a second term, said that serious negotiations have to be made ahead of the Copenhagen talks to ensure that the meeting achieves what it needs to.

"That is why the commission is putting the first meaningful proposal on the table on how we might finance the battle against climate change. The sums involved are potentially significant, both ambitious and fair. I am determined that Europe will continue to provide a lead but developed and economically advanced developing countries must also make a contribution," said Barroso.

The talks in Copenhagen on 7 to 18 December are an attempt to create a s uccessor to the Kyoto Protocol.

"The EU is pushing for an ambitious and comprehensive deal that will prevent global warming from reaching the dangerous levels – more than 2°C above the pre-industrial temperature – projected by the scientific community," the EC added.

Christian Aid and other climate justice campaigners say the amount of international funding should be at least twice the €22-50bn proposed by the EC.

‘If this figure is accepted, the goal of limiting global warming to 2oC becomes ever more remote," said Nelson Muffuh, advocacy coordinator at Christian Aid.

"Pollution from rich countries is already having devastating effects in developing countries, through droughts, floods and tropical storms. Rich countries have to face up to their historic responsibility for the emissions that have caused climate change."