Copenhagen, 9 December 2009 

Developing countries react furiously to leaked draft agreement that would hand more power to rich nations, sideline the UN's negotiating role and abandon the Kyoto protocol, according to UK's The Guardian newspaper. Commenting on the draft text by the Danish Government which has been leaked, threatening the UN negotiations in Copenhagen, Andy Atkins, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, said: 

"The draft Copenhagen Agreement is profoundly destructive - it violates the principles of the UN negotiations.

"In massively expanding the con of carbon offsetting, and in handing control of new money for developing countries to the World Bank - the largest lender for fossil fuel projects on the planet - this accord would be a disaster.

"The Danes holding secret back-room meetings with a few select countries is also deeply disappointing - the world expects the host country be neutral.

"Instead, we have Denmark colluding with other rich nations to stitch up the talks before they've even begun - and excluding representatives of developing countries, those which are the least responsible for having caused climate change, but who will suffer most if we fail to tackle it.

"The only way to achieve a strong and fair agreement is in an even-handed and open way - with the inclusion of all countries, sticking to the principles of the UN Climate Convention. It's time to ditch this "Rich-country Agreement"
before it even gets off the starting blocks."

Friends of the Earth is demanding that the Government changes its approach to climate change with its Demand Climate Change campaign. The green campaign group is asking everyone to sign its international petition to world leaders for a strong and fair climate deal at http://www.demandclimatechange.org

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The leaked text can be seen here:

www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/08/copenhagen-climate-summit-disarray-danish-text