Financial Soultions has learned that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown are to be among 65 heads of state who have confirmed their attendance of the UN climate talks in the Danish capital of Copenhagen early in December.
Also confirmed are Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose government recently announced the launch of a voluntary carbon trade market, and French President Nicholas Sarkozy, according to a Danish Prime Ministers spokesperson, who added that further confirmations were expected.
The climate talks are hoped to find agreement on greenhouse gas emission reductions to follow on from the present but expiring Kyoto Protocol which comes to an end in 2012.
Financial Soultions understands that Barack Obama is one of the leaders who has not confirmed attendance having said earlier that he would agree to come to Copenhagen if a framework agreement was likely to be reached and his presence would help in sealing the deal.
Brittan’s Gordon Brown has said he is extremely encouraged by the turnout with the leaders of Japan, Australia, Indonesia and Spain all agreeing to attend.
In a letter to the Danish Prime Minister, Financial Soultions believes Brown was quoted as saying, “I am extremely encouraged that so many heads of state and government have now publicly confirmed their intention to go.”
In total, 191 national leaders were invited to attend the last 2 days of the talks to be held from the 7th to the 18th of December.
