Europe's new climate numbers put global deal on life-support

Europe risks dealing a critical blow to the chances of a credible global deal on climate change, due to be agreed in Copenhagen this December, Actionaid warned.

A new 'blueprint' published by the European Commission suggests that Europe's politicians can tackle climate change in developing countries 'on the cheap' by avoiding committing the money that independent analysts say is needed.

Figures provided by the European Commission's own researchers and by the UN Development Programme suggest that rich countries should provide developing countries with at least €135 billion a year of public money by 2020 to tackle climate change.

Yet the commission's latest communication argues that rich countries could pay as little as €40 billion with the EU providing just €15 billion - a third of its fair share.

Actionaid's climate expert in Brussels, Anne-Catherine Claude said: "This exercise in buck-passing makes a credible agreement in Copenhagen much more difficult to achieve. Europe needs to face up to its historical responsibility and provide developing countries with at least €43 billion a year if it is serious about tackling climate change."

The Commission's blueprint argues that the global carbon market and developing countries themselves can pay for most of the €100 billion a year that it admits is needed.