Saying his piece: Hugo Chavez
“ If the climate was a bank, a capitalist bank, [the West] would have saved it by now ”
Chavez slams Copenhagen deadlock
Talks aimed at striking a global emissions pact at the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen remain deadlocked, with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez claiming that if the climate were a bank, "the West would have already bailed it out".
Talks have faltered over disputes between developed and developing nations over who should cut emissions, how deep those cuts should be and how much financial assistance poor countries should receive to help them curb emissions.
Meanwhile, the UK's Guardian newspaper reported that the talks were brink of collapse this morning as officials from the three main blocs – rich countries, major developing economies and small island states – said they had given up on reaching a deal.
Influential Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende today ran a story claiming Denmark had "given up", quoting a senior Danish source as saying the failure was a monumental disappointment.
"During the whole process, the problem is that this is a huge puzzle where all the pieces had to fall in place at the same time. But to do that, the countries had to make a serious effort and they have been unwilling to do so," the source close to Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen was quoted as saying.
At least 130 world leaders are due to join the talks today.
The summit aims to strike a new deal to be put in place when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will all address the talks today. US President Barack Obama will attend tomorrow.
However, there are doubts a deal can be reached.
Developing countries, led by China, accused Denmark of a lack of transparency by suggesting language for the agreement without full consultation by all sides on the 194-nation summit.
China told delegates that it saw no chance of reaching an operational accord this week, an unnamed official told the Reuters news agency.
The process is said to be in disarray, with many nations refusing to agree with Rasmussen's demands that talks focus on the slimmed down text.
The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, was quoted by several news agencies as saying he was disappointed with the slow pace of talks, while Chavez told delegates: "If the climate was a bank, a capitalist bank, [the West] would have saved it by now."
Meanwhile, Japan promised poorer nations $15 billion over three years if a deal is made.
The amount - payable from 2010 to 2012 - adds to the $10.6 billion commitment over three years made by European Union leaders at their summit last week.
Another pledge came from a six-member group - Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the UK and US - which will collectively commit $3.5 billion over three years to combat deforestation.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, speaking on behalf of the African Union, also announced dramatically reduced expectations for climate aid from rich nations.