LAST CHANCE TO PREVENT FAILURE IN COPENHAGEN

Oxfam International warned that world leaders have just two
days to prevent failure at the climate talks in Copenhagen. The international
agency warned that poor countries will not sign a weak deal and called on world
leaders, who arrive in Copenhagen today, to make the big political decisions on
finance and emissions reductions that are needed to turn things round.

Despite promising action two years ago in Bali, rich
countries have steadfastly refused to make the sharp emissions reductions
demanded by the science or provide the new money needed to help poor countries
tackle climate change.

'Let us be under no illusion. We do not have the makings of
a deal which will prevent climate catastrophe or protect the world's most
vulnerable people. These talks will fail unless rich countries deliver the
money they promised two years ago to help poor countries reduce their emissions
and adapt to a changing climate, said Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of
Oxfam International.

'Poor countries are ready to deliver on their side of the
bargain rich countries must show they are willing to do the same. Poor
countries will not be fooled by spin as they have already made clear they
will not sign a suicide pact in Copenhagen.

A flurry of finger pointing won't deliver a deal now. Poor
countries, who are fighting for climate action, should not be made scapegoats
by rich countries who have led these talks to the brink of disaster, Hobbs
said.

The outcome of two years of negotiations under two parallel
negotiating tracks was published early this morning key gaps include:

• The scale of emissions reductions for rich
  countries (Annex 1) is creeping up towards 25%, however the proposals are
  riddled with loopholes. A real reduction of 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 is
  demanded by the science.
• The offers of around $10 billion per year in
  climate finance are a fraction of the most credible estimates of $100 billion
  for adaptation and $100 billion for mitigation by developing countries. A rapid
  scale up of funding to $200 billion per year by 2020 is needed plus a guarantee
  that this money will be additional to existing aid commitments.
• Weaker systems of review and verification have
  been proposed but they do not provide the assurances that are needed. A strong
  system of compliance within a legally binding treaty structure is the political
  decision that is needed.

Meanwhile, independent observer's access to the UN climate
talk's organizations is being severely limited as world leaders arrive in
Copenhagen today. Just 1,000 observer passes were allocated by the UN for
Thursday's session compared to 15,000 observers allowed access last week.

'Oxfam is extremely concerned about the limited access which
observers have to the international climate talks and the outright exclusion of
some organizations altogether, said Mary Robinson, Honorary Chair of Oxfam
International.

'With the negotiations here in crisis we desperately need
the engagement and witness of people's organizations to keep the pressure on
political leaders to deliver a fair, ambitious and binding climate deal.