The offer, which will form a contribution to the final phase of the climate negotiations, means that the AU supports the EU’s estimate of how much financing is needed to fight climate change – provided that at least half of the money goes to countries in Africa and other developing nations.

During the autumn, the EU has agreed that EUR 100 billion is needed between now and 2020 if the world is to successfully tackle climate change. Last week the European Council decided that an additional EUR 7 billion is needed annually from 2010 to 2012 to help developing countries kick-start their efforts against climate change. The EU has committed to provide EUR 2.4 billion of this sum each year.

Africa responsible for three per cent of emissions

“If we can show that the EU and the AU are cooperating with one another, then we are approaching that shouldering of responsibility that the world requires”, said Fredrik Reinfeldt.

At the same time, Fredrik Reinfeldt emphasised that Africa is responsible for a very marginal part of the world’s emissions. All African countries together are responsible for only three per cent of global emissions – and, of that amount, the majority comes from South Africa.
“So the discussion between the European Union and the African Union is not only about emissions reductions. It is rather part of a global solution to stop climate change as a whole”, said Fredrik Reinfeldt.

Brief visit a day earlier than planned

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt made a quick visit to Copenhagen today, a day earlier than planned, to meet representatives for the African Union, together with President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso. The purpose was to review progress and discuss the AU’s negotiating position ahead of the final, critical days of the climate change conference.

During the remaining days of the climate change conference, Fredrik Reinfeldt is representing the EU. This is the last meeting at which Mr Reinfeldt is representing the EU as President of the European Council. During the autumn he has chaired the EU’s seven summits with some of the world’s major emitting countries. The political leaders of the USA, China, India, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine and South Africa have all had meetings with Mr Reinfeldt and Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Now both Mr Reinfeldt and Mr Barroso, together with many of the Union’s other heads of state and government, are in Copenhagen. Tomorrow and on Friday, both US President Barack Obama and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao are expected to join them. Many consider that the key to success in the climate negotiations is in the hands of these two countries.