Brown warns of failure as US refuses to raise target

Ben Webster Environment Editor, in Copenhagen, and Sam Coates

Gordon Brown last night raised the possibility of the Copenhagen summit failing to reach a deal as the US said that it would not improve its weak offer on cutting emissions.
President Obama is expected to make a significant financial commitment to a global climate protection fund when he joins the conference on Friday rather than improve on his provisional offer of cutting emissions by 4 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020. The EU has committed to cutting its emissions by 20 per cent over the same period and to raise that to 30 per cent if other countries make comparable efforts.
Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, endorsed the deal yesterday and suggested that it was the best outcome that could be expected given the difficulties that Mr Obama faced in persuading Congress to accept climate change legislation.
Mr Miliband said: “Countries have to do what they are able to. I think we have to judge what everyone has to offer in the round. For developed countries, both the [carbon reduction] and the finance they provide is crucial.”
However, the compromise will anger many because it will allow the US, which is responsible for more of the carbon in the atmosphere than any other country, to avoid the swift and painful transition to a low-carbon economy being proposed by the EU.
The Prime Minister last night sought to play down expectations and warned that there may not be any deal reached in Copenhagen.
“It is possible that we will not get an agreement,” he said. “This is also true of many issues to be sorted out but I am determined with the conversations I have had already today to do everything I can to bring the world together.”
Mr Brown, who arrived in Copenhagen last night, will hold private meetings with other leaders today to seek support for his proposal for a $100billion annual fund to help poor countries to convert to renewable energy.
He will propose that the UN establish a working group to recommend possible sources of finance for the climate fund, including a global financial transactions tax and a tax on aviation and shipping. He said: “We are at a critical moment. These are momentous decisions.”
Daryl Hannah, the actress and environmental campaigner, launched an outspoken attack on Mr Obama at the conference, where she was speaking on behalf of the Tck Tck Tck coalition of green groups yesterday. She said that Mr Obama was protecting corporate interests.
“At the moment Obama is being a politician,” she added. “He needs to be a leader and step up to the plate and address what the public is demanding, which is a route to a future that doesn’t kill us.
“He was elected on a wave of hope for real change and this is his golden opportunity to show he actually means what he is saying.”
Todd Stern, the US climate change envoy, earlier made clear that Mr Obama would not be improving on last month’s 4 per cent offer.
He said: “I don’t think there is going to be any change in that commitment. Our commitment is tied to our anticipated legislation.”
Climate bills considered by Congress contain proposals for about $7billion (£4.3billion) of public finance in 2020 to protect rainforests and to help poor countries to adapt to climate change and convert to renewable energy.
Mr Miliband hinted that a significant pledge on finance from Mr Obama would be sufficient for the EU to commit to a 30 per cent cut.
Meanwhile, plans by up to 10,000 activists to storm the conference centre today suffered a setback when Danish police arrested several of their leaders. An activist sqaut was also raided and 36 people, including 13 Britons, were arrested outside Klima Forum, an alternative “people’s conference”.
Climate culprits
Per capita carbon emissions from consumption of energy
Metric tonnes of C02 (2007)
World 4.52
United States 19.94
Britain 9.28
Europe 7.88
China 4.75
Brazil 2.05
Nigeria 0.72
Per capita energy consumption
Million btu per person (2008)
World 73.1
United States 337.1
Britain 155.7
Europe 143.7
China 58.9
Brazil 52.2
Nigeria 7.3
Total petrol consumption
Thousand barrels per day (2008)
World 85,772
United States 19,497
Britain 1,709
Europe 16,146
China 7,831
Brazil 2,485
Nigeria 286
Gross Domestic Product
Millions of US dollars (2008)
World 61,070,000
United States 14,260,000
Britain 2,674,000
Europe 18,140,000
China 4,402,000
Brazil 1,665,000
Nigeria 220,300
Sources: Energy Information Administration, CIA World Factbook, UN: The State of the World's Forests 2007