11th December

Commenting on the conclusion of the Council of European Heads of State today, the UK based coalition Stop Climate Chaos (SCC), which organised The Wave - the world’s largest ever demonstration for action on climate change in London last Saturday, said:

This sounds like a step forward by the EU - provided that the EU is not robbing desperately needed aid budgets to meet its moral obligations to help poor countries tackle climate change. However, although such short term financial sticking plasters are important, the EU is still failing to get on track to provide its full share of the $150 billion per year that will be needed by 2020 - at the very latest, to fully support developing countries.

Unless the money is put in place to help the most vulnerable, millions of people - entire communities - are at risk from threats to food production, agriculture and water supplies. Poor countries cannot cope with this on their own. The longer we delay the worse the impacts will be and the higher the eventual cost.

- Ashok Sinha, Director of Stop Climate Chaos Coalition

More than 50,000 came together in London to demand action on climate change at The Wave, the world's biggest ever climate change march, on 5 December. Organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, people dressed in blue from all walks of life and from all over the country encircled Parliament, calling on the UK government to settle for nothing less than a climate deal in Copenhagen that avoids dangerous climate change and protects the world’s poorest who are already feeling its effects.

Ends

Further Information: Sarah Jenkinson on + 44 (0)77666 82624 or Ashok Sinha on + 44 (0) 7905 139140
Notes for Editors:

• SCC wants to see a commitment of at least €35 bn a year from the EU for poor countries by 2020 to support adaptation and low carbon development
• The Stop Climate Chaos (SCC) coalition has a combined supporter base of more than 11 million people which spans over 100 organisations, from environment and development charities to unions, faith, community and women's groups.
• Ahead of the crucial UN climate summit in Copenhagen, SCC organised the world’s biggest ever demonstration in support of action on climate change: Images available: www.stopclimatechaos.org/the-wave

Stop Climate Chaos, and its members, are calling on the UK Government to:

ACT FAIR ACT FAST: deliver a fair global deal in Copenhagen that
keeps global warming under 2˚C, with rich countries taking the lead by reducing their emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020.

PROTECT THE POOREST: provide at least $150 billion a year by 2020 to help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people deal with the impact of climate change and develop in a low carbon manner.

QUIT DIRTY COAL: end the UK’s reliance on dirty coal power, boost the UK’s renewable energy supply and invest in a green economy that creates new jobs.