Rich must aid poor more on climate

BRAZIL: The Presidents of France and Brazil said on Thursday that rich countries must immediately boost aid for developing nations to fight global warming if they want to reach a climate accord in Copenhagen next month.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who hosted a climate summit of leaders from the Amazon region in Manaus, said progress had been made with pledges by China and the United States this week to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

But he said poor countries needed more aid to cope with climate change and help meet their own targets.

“The poor need to be supported without any country giving up its sovereignty,” Lula said.

Brazil has opened an investment fund to help conservation in the Amazon rainforest but insisted donor countries would have no say in it. So far, Norway has donated the largest amount.

Climate negotiators have made little visible progress in sorting out the thorny issue of how rich countries should help poorer ones fight global warming.

“We need numbers, not only to reduce the temperature. Copenhagen also needs to provide funds from developed countries for developing countries,” said French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was invited because French Guyana forms part of the Amazon basin.

“That needs to happen now,” he said through a translator.

Sarkozy welcomed the target Washington announced this week to reduce emissions 17 percent by 2020. MANAUS, Friday, Reuters