EU seeks to preserve united front on climate

BRUSSELS — Western European nations struggled to convince their poorer eastern neighbors Thursday to present a united front on climate change by helping pay developing nations to cut emissions and adapt to climate change.

The European Union casts itself as the world's leader of efforts to combat climate change. It has pledged to cut 20 percent of emissions from 1990 levels by 2020 and says it will increase that to 30 percent if other major polluters make similar commitments at the climate summit in Copenhagen.

But eastern EU nations grappling with the fallout of the economic crisis are reluctant to participate in another key European measure: offering financial help to impoverished developing nations respond to climate change.

Greenpeace activists surprised security at the summit, emerging from a gray Mercedes minivan at the official entrance just as EU leaders were arriving.

"EU leaders must show leadership!" one shouted, while two others jumped out with yellow flags reading "EU Save Copenhagen." Security officials quickly whisked them away.

Western diplomats at the EU's final summit of 2009 were trying hard to convince eastern nations to participate even symbolically in the fund, which is intended to help developing nations to start cutting emissions before a new climate treaty being negotiated in Copenhagen comes into force in 2012 and cope with the effects of climate change.

Failure to persuade the poorer EU nations to contribute would tarnish the appearance of EU unity on climate change, but is not expected to hold up the fund.

"I will definitely ask for contributions" from all countries, Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfelt, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, said ahead of Thursday's talks. "Europe should take its fair share" of the $5 billion to $7 billion a year target sum for 2010-2012, he said, adding that he was hoping to come up with a collective sum "tonight."

Sweden's minister for european affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom, said, "We have been encouraging for the last weeks, days and hours all countries to come up with at least a small contribution."

"We are aware that some countries are under extreme economic pressure, of course. But even small contributions can show that all European countries want to contribute and that we have a figure," she said.

The EU is expected to announce a figure Thursday night, but in an apparent attempt to preserve the bloc's perceived unity, it will not break down the amount into national contributions.