The clock's ticking
December 15, 2009
Merkel urged developed and developing nations to make a "constructive contribution" to an agreement. The crucial conference in the Danish capital, which is due to end Friday, has been marked by deep divisions between rich and poor nations.
"We know that time is running out," the German chancellor told reporters after talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Berlin.
"I will not hide the fact that I am somewhat nervous whether we will manage to achieve everything," she said when asked about her hopes for reaching a deal by the end of the week on curbing CO2 output and slowing global warming.
After meeting with Merkel, Yudhoyono called for developing countries to increase their pledges. "I am convinced that the developing countries must give more and do more to jointly achieve the international targets," he said.
Dragging their feet
Earlier, the conference chair, Denmark's former climate minister Connie Hedegaard, said that negotiations would go down to the wire, comparing the delegates to work-shy pupils.
"If they have a very long deadline to deliver an exercise, they will wait for the last moment," she said.
"Only when you know that the deadline is there and you cannot escape it, then you have to do it," Hedegaard told a press conference.
Mountain to climb
The UN climate change chief Yvo de Boer also said on Tuesday that there was "still an enormous amount of work and ground to be covered if this conference is to deliver." But he stressed agreement could not just be railroaded through.
"This process is not about ramming the interests of the few down the throats of many. There are 400 million people in India who don't have access to electricity. How can you turn off the lightbulb you don't have?," he asked.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon arrived in Copenhagen on Tuesday after warning that "time is running out" for a deal and that failure would have "potentially catastrophic consequence."
afp/ap/dpa (jg)
Editor: Louisa Schaefer