NOS over klimaatconferentie in Cancun

Klokkenluiderssite WikiLeaks heeft het eerste bericht van de Amerikaanse ambassade in Den Haag online gezet. Het document gaat over de klimaattop die begin dit jaar in Kopenhagen werd gehouden.

De ambassade meldt aan Washington dat Nederland ontwikkelingslanden die Nederlandse steun krijgen, heeft gevraagd het klimaatakkoord te steunen. Nederland zou hebben gedreigd anders de ontwikkelingshulp te verminderen, staat in het bericht.

Volgens de Amerikanen was het 'een ongekende stap voor Nederland' om ontwikkelingslanden zo onder druk te zetten.

'Niet gedreigd'
Het ministerie van Milieu in Den Haag zegt dat Nederland niet heeft gedreigd met het stopzetten of verlagen van de hulp.

The Dutch government is taking steps to convince developing countries to "associate with" the Accord. Kaasjager has drafted messages for embassies in capitals receiving Dutch development assistance to solicit support. This is an unprecedented move for the Dutch government, which traditionally recoils at any suggestion to use aid money as political leverage. But at the annual Dutch chiefs of mission conference in mid-January, ambassadors were clamoring for guidance on how to engage and persuade developing countries on climate negotiations. However, Kaasjager said the Netherlands would find it difficult to make association with the Accord a condition to receive climate financing.

Cancún climate change summit: Japan refuses to extend Kyoto protocol
Talks threatened with breakdown after forthright Japanese refusal to extend Kyoto emissions commitments

Japan refuses to extend Kyoto protocol. 'The forthrightness of the statement took people by surprise,' said one British official Link to this video The delicately balanced global climate talks in Cancún suffered a serious setback last night when Japan categorically stated its opposition to extending the Kyoto protocol – the binding international treaty that commits most of the world's richest countries to making emission cuts.