Copenhagen rally calls for 'real deal'

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-13 09:12

COPENHAGEN: Tens of thousands of climate activists from different countries rallied in central Copenhagen on Saturday to highlight the need for sealing a "real deal" in the UN-led climate change talks.

Environmentalists who advocate waste recycle attend the Global Day of Action at parliament square in Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, on Dec. 12, 2009. [Xinhua]

The rally came as ministers were arriving for the higher segment of the talks that are tasked with achieving goals to avoid irreversible change in climate that scientists warn could be disastrous to the Earth.

The activists converged on the city's Parliament Square, holding banners and listening to passionate speakers. "There is no Planet B," one of the banners read.

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Copenhagen Climate Change Conference 2009

In a symbol of their call for countries to go environment-friendly, some demonstrators were clad in green and wearing green helmets.

Some activists called on rich nations to commit to deep emission cuts and deliver on pledges of financial and technological support to help developing nations adapt to climate change.

"The world wants a real deal," another banner said.

Xiaojun Wang, chief media officer of the China branch of environmental group Greenpeace, a major organizer of the rally, told Xinhua that at least 50,000 people were taking part in the rally.

The crowd later marched towards the venue of the UN climate change conference, the Bella Center on the outskirts of the Danish capital.

Inside the conference center, the call was also becoming increasingly loud for rich nations to deliver on their pledges.

The call for funding was partly answered on Friday with European Union leaders pledging 2.4 billion euros ($3.5 billion) annually from 2010 to 2012 to help developing countries tackle global warming.

Environmentalists march to Bella Center, the venue of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec. 12, 2009. Tens of thousands of climate activists from different countries rallied in central Copenhagen on Saturday to highlight the need for sealing a "real deal" in the UN-led climate change talks. [Xinhua]

Developing nations still view the pledge as a far cry from their needs. Lumumba Di-Aping, the Sudanese chairman of Group of 77 and China, a group of developing countries, described it as "insignificant."

Ministers in Copenhagen have a week to work for agreement on two draft texts that were prepared by the chairs of two major working groups of the conference before 110 heads of state and government convene here.

China's Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said Friday: "The final document we're going to adopt needs to be taking into account the needs and aspirations of all countries," particularly the most vulnerable ones, he said.