Climate | 05.12.2009

Obama changes schedule, will attend climax of climate talks

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Obama's schedule changed after conversations with other leaders

US President Barack Obama has announced his intention to attend the final stages of the Copenhagen climate talks. The move is being widely welcomed.

In a late change to his schedule, the White House announced that the president would be attending the latter portion of the talks in Copenhagen, rather than the opening ceremonies. The decision was warmly welcomed by attendees and hosts alike.

The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference is expecting to host 103 world leaders and result in meaningful international agreements on the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Obama's initial plan, to attend the talks on December 9 before heading to Oslo to receive his Nobel Peace Prize, had been greeted with some consternation from other conference delegates and environmentalists. The US president now intends to attend the final day of the conference on December 18.

Most of the hard bargaining and consensus-making is expected to occur at the end of the conference when many other world leaders are expected to attend.

A symbolic schedule change

The US government said the president's change of plan was "based on his conversations with other leaders and the progress that has already been made to give momentum to negotiations."

The news was welcomed by French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen was pleased by the news

Sarkozy "is delighted at this decision which shows the importance attached by the United States to the success of this conference on the climate," a statement from his office said.

Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, whose country is hosting the conference, attributed the change to "the growing political momentum to reach an ambitious climate deal in Copenhagen."

"President Obama's strong focus on climate change and his global leadership are key for the Copenhagen talks," Rasmussen said.

Germany's environment minister, too, found the news symbolic.

"This is a clear signal," Nortbert Röttgen told the German newspaper Bild.

"Obama wants the conference to succeed, and he is putting all the weight of his personality into the equation," he said.

sjt/dpa/AFP
Editor: Kyle James/antigrafikon.from DW