December 16 2009
Commenting on Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s statement, Christian relief and development agency Tearfund said. ‘We welcome the Prime Minister’s persistence in pushing for developed countries to address the gaping sorrows of the left out millions in Africa, the torment of our island states, the fear gripping the planet’s most vulnerable communities. Not by doing what we can get away with but by demanding the most of ourselves.
'We sincerely hope this high level political will has a domino effect of raised ambition from other developed countries’, said Tearfund's Director of Advocacy Paul Cook.
With two full negotiating days left the Tearfund is urging the EU to go further and play a leadership role and drive industrialised nations’ ambition towards reaching agreement on three key areas: tough emissions reduction targets, generous climate finance (additional to current aid commitments) and securing a legally binding deal by Friday.
'The sums of money for climate finance and emissions reductions targets being tabled are currently inadequate. The welter of scientific evidence demands far greater political will and we must do everything we can to prevent a crisis of leadership from rich nations. At this stage in the talks whilst the Prime Minister still needs to go further in his targets, his acknowledgement of the urgency is definitely a positive step in the right direction,' Cook concluded.