Reinfeldt Reaches Compromise Climate Deal Without Deal

EU leaders today reached a compromise deal on how to help developing nations tackle climate change, but without putting a figure to Europe's contribution, officials said. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, the brain behind the clever compromise, summarized

• We have an agreement. The EU now has a strong negotiating position and the countdown to Copenhagen now has started.

EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso supported: 

• We can now look the rest of the world in the eyes and say we Europeans have done our job.
• It was essential that the European Union kept its leadership role and we have done that.
• EU offers are not a blank cheque... we are ready to act if our partners are ready to deliver.

The EU leaders agreed that developing nations would need 100 billion euros worth of help
annually by 2020 to tackle climate change and to deal with its consequences. However the EU leaders failed to say how much of that money would be coming from Europe, amid strong differences mainly between the poor eastern European nations and the richer west.

For a different perspective listen to Lord Monkcton.

How much is €100 billion? It is 100/6 = 15 euro per person and year: One euro per person and month. Is it enough to compensate for an Earth on fire? How was this figure determined? Compare with the US military budget of $500 billion/year. 

There is an obvious contradiction for poor nations between economic growth and limitations

on carbondioxide emission, which is not eliminated by 3 cents/day. So why are Reinfeldt and Barosso so happy? Can they really look the rest of the world in the eyes and say we Europeans have done our job?