Industrialised Countries Sabotaging Talks Through Inertia

Rich countries' inertia is
sabotaging a climate deal and abandoning millions of the worlds poorest
people to a desperate future said Oxfam on the final day of
international climate talks in Bonn today.

Together with over 450
development, environmental and social organisations from across the
world the international agency called for world leaders, meeting at the
G8 Summit in Italy next month, to come to Copenhagen ready to strike a
deal that will prevent a human catastrophe.

The machinery of the
talks is working but a lack of political will from industrialised
countries has blocked progress and undermined poor country confidence
in the negotiations - only a political commitment for ambitious action
at the highest level can save the talks said Oxfam.

Antonio
Hill, Oxfam's Policy Advisor said: "In the fight against climate change
we need the generals on the battlefield. World leaders meeting at the
G8 in Italy must promise to come to Copenhagen ready to strike a deal
that will prevent a human catastrophe."

"Poor countries have been
left stranded - millions of people face, hunger, disease and disaster
but the countries that created the nightmare are refusing to lift a
finger to prevent it becoming a reality", said Hill. "Poor countries
were dealt another blow this week when Japan announced a pathetically
low target for cutting emissions by just 8 percent on 1990 levels by
2020."

In the final session developing countries sharply
criticised industrialised countries' contribution to the talks. Over
the last two weeks rich nations have failed to set an overall target
for mid term emission reductions - one of the main aims of the meeting
- or put forward concrete proposals on funding to help poor countries
reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate. "Rich country
delegates have spent two weeks talking but have done nothing on the
issues that really matter. Rich countries may be kidding themselves
they are working towards a deal but they are not kidding anyone else,"
said Hill.

Despite the failure of rich countries to engage in
Bonn there are a huge number of proposals on the table - some of which
could still add up to a fair and adequate deal. "There are two deals in
the hundreds of pages of the negotiating text sitting with governments
today. One will secure our future - the other will bring disaster.
World leaders need to get a grip on the talks to ensure the right deal
is made in Copenhagen", said Hill.

Notes to editors

Oxfam
is a founder member of the 'tck tck tck' campaign. The campaign brings
together an unprecedented alliance of faith groups, NGOs, trade unions
and individual. As world leaders prepare to strike a climate deal in
Copenhagen in December, and aims to harness the voices of people from
around the globe to demand an ambitious, fair and binding climate deal
which reflects the latest science.

Contact information

Oxfam
will have spokespeople at the talks from Bangladesh, South Africa, US,
UK, Germany and Australia and can arrange interviews. For more
information and to arrange an interview contact: Anna Mitchell - in Bonn from Sunday 7 June to Saturday 13 June: + 44 77 96 99 32 88 Mirjam Hagele -in Bonn from Tuesday 9 June to Saturday 13 June: + 49 177 8809977