Copenhagen: It is too late to save the summit, but its not too late to save the planet

“We have no choice but to forge forward towards a legally binding deal in 2010.”
Robert Bailey
Senior spokesperson for Oxfam International
Published: 19 December 2009

As hopes for a legally binding deal faded in the last negotiating hours of the climate summit, Robert Bailey, Senior spokesperson for Oxfam International said:

“It is shameful that after two years of blood, sweat and tears, we didn’t finish the marathon on time.

“World leaders had a genuine chance here in Copenhagen to deliver the fair, ambitious and binding deal the world needed. But as the deal got cooked up, fairness was taken off the table and ambition watered down. In the early hours of the morning, any hopes of a legally binding deal were stripped out too.

“It is too late to save the summit, but its not too late to save the planet and its people.  We have no choice but to forge forward towards a legally binding deal in 2010.  This must be a rapid, decisive and ambitious movement, not business as usual.”

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Blog: A Climate Shame, but we're Not Done Yet

Notes to Editors

Despite the hype the Copenhagen Summit, failed to produce a climate deal. A number of developing countries backed away from a weak proposal by the US, South Africa, India, and China. In the cold light of Saturday morning all that is left is a hollow accord that countries have been asked to sign up to. This does not guarantee action, at best would deliver a fraction of the money poor countries need to tackle climate change, and merely summarises the voluntary emission reduction targets already tabled by rich countries.