Copenhagen climate summit: UN admits to 'trust issues' between rich and poor countries

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, has admitted to “trust issues” between rich and poor countries at the Copenhagen climate change conference.

Ban Ki-Moon said there are 'trust issues' between rich and poor countries Photo: AP But he is

confident of getting international leaders to reach a deal to limit their countries’ carbon emissions at the talks, he said.

He also announced that £6.2 billion in aid to poor countries would be set aside and put down in international law within six months.

The announcement comes after talks at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December broke down earlier this week.



"We have been talking a lot most recently with developing countries and small island developing states. They are the most concerned countries and they seem to agree to this idea of $10bn," he told The Guardian.

"I have been very consciously engaging with developing countries. Even if there have been some trust issues, we have been bridging this gap as much as we can. This is what I am going to continue to do."

A replacement for the 1997 Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012, is supposed to be negotiated at the summit.
 
Mr Ban said that the essence of the Kyoto agreement – that industrialised countries take responsibility for global warming – would survive.



But he added that he was still waiting for rich industrialised countries to promise steeper emissions cuts.

"Now we are approaching this end-game and I am sure people will come out with more serious targets," he said. "Not all developed countries have come out with ambitious targets."