In the final day of negotiations in Barcelona, the head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat told reporters that 40 heads of state plan to attend the Copenhagen climate change conference in December.  

'My understanding is that 40 heads of state have indicated their intention to be present at the end of Copenhagen'. Yvo de Boer told reporters on the sidelines of talks this week in Barcelona. 'It really is a good spread of countries North and South,' he added, referring to African leaders and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (Reuters).

This follows an FT interview with Brazil's President Lula in London yesterday in which he challenged other world leaders to attend next month's climate talks in Copenhagen to break the deadlock in negotiations. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told the Financial Times he would speak to Barack Obama, US president, next week to urge him and other leaders to go to Copenhagen in the final days of the talks.

'We may not reach an agreement because of a deficiency of global leadership,' Mr Lula da Silva said. 'The discussions have been outsourced to advisers but it is better that the ones who say yes or no are prime ministers and presidents.'  Mr Lula da Silva named Hu Jintao, China's president, and Manmohan Singh, India's prime minister, as key participants and said he would attend if other leaders did (FT).

 

Related links

40 heads of state to attend Dec. climate summit-UN. Reuters. Fri Nov 6, 2009

Lula calls on leaders to attend climate talks, November 6 2009