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Greenpeace Delivers Message To World Leaders

Greenpeace ‘Head Of State’ Delivers Message To World Leaders On Presidential Red Carpet

“24 hours to pull the world back from climate chaos”

Thursday 17 December 2009: As the Copenhagen Climate Summit reaches its penultimate night, Greenpeace activists joined Heads of State from over 120 countries on their way to dinner with the queen at the Danish Parliament. In a 3 vehicle convoy, just in front of Hilary Clinton, a Greenpeace ‘Head of State’ and her ‘husband’ stepped out onto the red carpet - there to represent the demand of millions of people around the world who want a fair, ambitions and legally binding treaty to avert climate catastrophe.

Holding up a banner reading: “Politicians Talk Leaders Act”, the activists drove home the message that the world’s presidents and prime ministers risk condemning the world to climate chaos unless they make far more serious efforts to strengthen the climate deal tomorrow.

“We have only 24 hours to pull the world back from the brink of climate chaos. While world leaders dine, the fate of hundreds of millions of people and countless species hangs in the balance,” said Melanie Francis, Greenpeace International climate campaigner from the scene.

Greenpeace also projected the message “Don’t betray our children’s future” onto the Danish Parliament and Prime Minister’s office in English, French and German. Meanwhile, other activists with banners reading: “Politician’s Talk Leaders Act” scaled lamp posts and other high points outside of the security cordon directly communicating with Heads of State entering the palace.

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“The negotiations are complex and many countries are playing poker with the planet. In order to break the deadlock industrialised countries need to put their cards on the table. Unless they get into line with climate science tomorrow, we face a three degree temperature rise and climate chaos. (1)

“Leaders of industrialised countries have just hours left to commit to deeper greenhouse gas emission cuts of 40% by 2020 and put USD140 billion a year on the table so that developing countries can invest in clean technologies, adapt to climate change and end tropical deforestation. If they fail, they will be remembered forever as the people who consigned the world to chaos.”

ENDS

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