Commission opening bid for climate fund won’t clinch the deal

"With this money on the table we will hopefully break the deadlock in negotiations for a new climate deal in Copenhagen at the end of the year. But what we want to avoid is that rich nations end up short-changing the developing world," said Joris den Blanken, Greenpeace EU climate and energy policy director.

Earlier drafts of the Commission proposal indicated that the EU should contribute €13-24 billion annually to the developing world by 2020. But, after intense pressure from EU member states, that sum has now been watered down to €2-15 billion. The Commission proposal recommends that collectively, all industrialised countries should contribute €22-50 billion.

"The EU is trying to get away with leaving a tip, rather than paying its share of the bill to protect the planet's climate," said den Blanken.

In order to reduce emissions from deforestation and agriculture, the Commission is recommending a meager annual contribution by industrialised countries (€7-14 billion in 2020).

"EU officials are playing political games without realising that they can write off the forests of Indonesia or central Africa with the stroke of a pen. The future of entire communities is at stake," said Sebastien Risso, Greenpeace EU forest policy director.

Greenpeace calls on industrialised countries to honour their climate pledge with at least €110 billion annually, and for the EU to commit €35 billion (on top of existing development assistance). Funding from industrialised countries to develop clean and efficient energy, protect forests and adapt to climate change in developing countries should be managed by a UN-backed financing scheme which requires every country to pay for its emissions.