Although France is not a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the country’s President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Trinidad and Tobago as a special guest of Prime Minister Patrick Manning with the express purpose of mobilising support for a united front at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, December 7th to 18th.


The COP15 conference is the fifteenth conference of the parties under the United Nations climate change convention and will take place in the Bella Centre in Copenhagen


Sarkozy who met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, host of the upcoming Copenhagen summit, recently held discussions with various leaders at the CHOGM on the critical issue of climate change and a proposed agreement in Copenhagen next month.


Following a plenary session at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the French President held a media conference on the 6th floor of the International Financial Centre at which local, regional and international media representatives were present.


President Sarkozy said “to not have a decisive agreement at the Copenhagen Conference would be an historic failure.  He confirmed that seven or eight decisions had to be taken to ensure the well-being of the countries of the world. “Either we take all the decisions or not. It is a sine qua non for success.”

Arrangements, he said, must always help poorer nations.

 

The French President confirmed that he has continued talks with the Republic of China and renewed discussions with the Indian Prime Minister, while here, saying that the Prime Minister understands how important it is to support efforts in Copenhagen.

 

Sarkozy reiterated the need for arrangements for the reduction of carbon emissions. He suggested that together with Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, an innovative financial mechanism for a grant of ten billion dollars be set up to ensure the sustainable development of poorer countries while they implement measures to reduce emissions.

 

Sarkozy reiterated his request that a United Nations agency evaluate the environmental situation and hold participating countries to their respective commitments. He noted ‘the whole point of Copenhagen is not to choose between growth and development and environmental protection. We need carbon free growth, and technology transfers with sustainable development in mind.’’ 

He continued, “As developed nations (USA, France and Europe), responsible for 40% of carbon emissions, we have to shoulder our historic responsibility; we are more developed so we now have to make more provisions for carbon free growth. This is why France, he said, invented the “Climate plan”. ‘Everything is linked; you cannot commit to reducing emissions if you are not willing to assist financially”.