Sarkozy and Lula to adopt common environmental stance at Copenhagen

French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that he and and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have agreed on a common environmental policy ahead of the Copenhagen global warming summit.

AFP - France and Brazil have adopted a common policy for next week's global warming summit in Copenhagen, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Saturday.
   
Speaking after talks with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Sarkozy said he would be launching an international drive to convince other countries to follow their "ambitious proposals".
   
"We want Copenhagen to be a success, not a cut-price agreement," he said.
   

On Friday Brazil said it would offer a "voluntary" cut of between 36 and 39 percent in greenhouse gas emissions at the December 7-18 UN conference.
   
Brazil is the fourth-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, largely because of carbon released through deforestation of its vast Amazon forest by ranchers and farmers.
   
The head of the European Union executive, Jose Manuel Barroso, hailed Saturday the Brazilian commitment, saying in a statement, "With this decision, Brazil is amongst the first of the major emerging countries to make such a pledge.
   
"This is a potentially decisive step to achieve a global deal in Copenhagen in December and to succeed in the fight against climate change."
   
Sarkozy said that he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would be meeting Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, the host of the summit, next week.
   
Subsequently he could visit Brazil in a bid to push the policy in the region, and would also attend the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad at the end of the month.
   
"I will also visit Africa," he said. "We want to bring the whole of Africa along with us."

Date created : 2009-11-14