Copenhagen summit: rich nations guilty of 'climate colonialism'

Louise Gray and Rowena Mason
The Telegraph
Dec. 10, 2009

Poor countries have accused the rich world of "climate colonialism" as a rift between the two sides widened at the Copenhagen climate summit.

The conference was thrown into chaos on Tuesday by a leaked text, drawn up by the Danish, that proposed both industrialised and emerging countries cut carbon dioxide output in order to limit global warming.

The world's poor claim that the draft agreement would allow people in developed countries to emit twice as much carbon per head than those in poorer countries, who have not caused the rise in emissions.

The row is showing no signs of calming down, with Tuvalu, a small island state that is in danger of being swamped if sea levels rise, walking out of talks.

Lumumba di-Aping, chief negotiator of the G77 group of nations and China, said the text robs developing countries of their "just and equitable and fair share of the atmospheric space."

Continued