Reinfeldt 'very worried' on climate negotiations
PITTSBURGH (AFP) - Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt voiced deep concern about climate change negotiations, warning they were heading in the wrong direction with weeks to go before the make-or-break Copenhagen conference.
| Related news: • Time to 'break deadlock' on climate change • Sweden tells US to step up on climate change • Environment talks with US "progressing slowly" • Copenhagen climate talk in risk of failing |
Fredrik Reinfeldt, the current head of the EU, came to the US city of Pittsburgh for a 20-nation economic summit after top-level talks at the United Nations on climate change.
"We are both very worried about the situation," Reinfeldt said at a joint news conference with European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso.
"When it comes to the negotiations, they are in fact slowing down; they are not going in the right direction," Reinfeldt said. "We are very worried that we need to speed up the negotiations."
Little more than two months remain until the conference in Copenhagen, which is meant to approve the framework of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the landmark treaty that required cuts in emissions blamed for global warming.
The European Union and Japan have been the leading champions of the Kyoto Protocol, which made no requirements on developing nations to cut carbon emissions.
But rich nations including the United States are united in insisting that the next treaty also require action by emerging economies.
Chinese President Hu Jintao told Tuesday's climate summit that the world's biggest developing nation was prepared to slow down the growth of its carbon emissions as it develops, but he did not set a figure.
| • SIGN UP FOR FREE NEWSLETTER • ALL BREAKING NEWS ON TWITTER |
Last Updated (Friday, 25 September 2009 07:58)
Swedish stocks to rally despite October collapse
STOCK MARKET – Stocks at the Stockholm exchange are expected to gain 15 - 20 percent this year despite last weeks dip, analyst said.
Russia enters Brazil fighter jet deal
Russia's state arms export firm voiced optimism on Friday about winning a multi-billion-dollar Brazilian fighter jet tender despite rival bids from French, US and Swedish aerospace companies.
Accounting firms raided on Iceland
Iceland's special prosecutor has raided the offices of accounting firms PriceWaterhouseCoopers and KPMG and seized accounting data for the country's three biggest failed banks.
Sweden’s FinMin hits back on tax cut criticism
Sweden's Finance Minister was forced to defend the planned tax cuts after harsh criticism from a top government advisor.
• Sweden slashes income tax to boost jobs
• Economic stimulus to lift Sweden out of the crisis
Baltic island of Åland to vote on the Lisbon Treaty
Finland's Swedish-speaking autonomous Åland Islands will vote on the Lisbon Treaty this year, likely to land Helsinki in a quagmire.
Canada and Sweden in free trade talks
Canadian and Swedish Foreign Ministers held talks ahead of a first round of Canada-EU free trade talks.
EU banks 'sufficiently capitalised' Sweden say
Stress tests on 22 banks in the crisis-hit EU have shown the lenders are "sufficiently capitalised," Swedish finance minister said.
• EU sets deadline for exit strategies • EU to kickstart crisis exit
Egypt deports Swedish journalist
Egypt deported a Swedish journalist on Thursday over his alleged involvement in a pro-Palestinian march.
Nord Stream to destroy old mines
Nord Stream's planned gas pipeline project has been given permission to destroy old mines lying in the Baltic Sea.
EU sets deadline for exit strategies
Europe set a deadline on Thursday to end economic pump priming with a pledge to tackle member states' bloated deficits in 2011.
• EU to kickstart crisis exit • Swedish 'double dip' may hit the stock market
