Copenhagen: Sixty-five world leaders have confirmed that they will attend a United Nations (UN) conference in Copenhagen in December that will try to clinch a new global climate deal, and many more are considering, Danish officials said on Sunday.
Seeking dialogue: Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen. Analysts say the decision to invite leaders is a calculated risk. Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Facing splits in the climate talks, Denmark 10 days ago formally invited the heads of state and government of 191 UN member states to come for the final two days of the 7-18 December conference to push for a deal at the meeting, originally meant for environment ministers. Danish officials declined to provide a full list of those who had agreed to come to the Copenhagen conference, but noted some leaders, such as those from Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, Japan, Indonesia and Brazil, had announced their intention to attend.
UN said this month that around 40 leaders had indicated plans to attend, mostly from developing nations as well as from Germany and Britain, even before the official invitation. European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has said he would come. And US President Barack Obama has said he would attend if it could give impetus to a deal.
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen’s decision to invite world leaders is a calculated risk, analysts say. Their presence can raise chances of a deal but the need for a summit is an admission that negotiations are in trouble after a final round of talks in Barcelona this month.
(Anna Ringstrom contributed to this story.)