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 16 December 2009
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Head of UN climate talks confident of a deal by end of talks

16/12/2009

The head of the climate change conference is confident a deal can be reached by the time the talks end on Friday.

Yvo de Boer

Yvo de Boer

Yvo DeBoer said progress had been made on financial pledges, for example, and in deforestation and capacity-building, even as some other issues, such as the increase in the earth's temperature, remain unresolved.

"Many of the small island states, least-developed countries, have indicated that they attach great importance to an ambitious temperature goal, that we do not exceed more than a 1.5 degree temperature increase because that's linked to their survival. What they want to avoid is that Copenhagen becomes a suicide pact in terms of the future of their nations. Then you have the African nations who feel that at the moment that they're getting nothing or almost nothing in terms of support to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change. So they amongst other things want to see significant support for adaptation. And what everybody wants to see - government rep from the north and the South, the whole of civil society, including business and NGOs, is above all ambitious emission reduction targets from industrialized countries."

DeBoer said Wednesday evening the next 24 hours would be crucial and need to be used productively.

Charles Appel, United Nations Radio
(duration: 1'19")

Sound bites

Yvo DeBoer, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Cut 1

"Many of the small island states, least-developed countries, have indicated that they attach great importance to an ambitious temperature goal, that we do not exceed more than a 1.5 degree temperature increase because that's linked to their survival. What they want to avoid is that Copenhagen becomes a suicide pact in terms of the future of their nations. Then you have the African nations who feel that at the moment that they're getting nothing or almost nothing in terms of support to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change. So they amongst other things want to see significant support for adaptation. And what everybody wants to see - government rep from the north and the South, the whole of civil society, including business and NGOs, is above all ambitious emission reduction targets from industrialized countries."
Duration: 00:00:52

Yvo DeBoer, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Cut 2

"Yes, it is important to signal a long-term financial commitment. At the same time, I think it is important that we have real short-term money that would allow developing countries to prepare solid adaptation and mitigation strategies that will give us a much better indication, much greater precision in terms of what's needed in the long-term."
Duration: 00:00:20

Yvo DeBoer, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Cut 3

"The first thing that this meeting needs to deliver is immediate action and implementation on the ground now the day this conference ends. So we need action on adaptation, mitigation, technology, finance, capacity-building and forests."
Duration: 00:00:14