Speaking from the UN Climate Talks in Durban, GUE/NGL MEP Bairbre de Brún said:

"As the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol comes into view, there is an urgent need to seek a second commitment period for, without it, the world is rapidly moving towards an extremely worrying 'limbo' situation.

"At a time when we should be pushing to further our ambition in the field of climate change and close the ‘gigatonne gap’ (the difference between what science says we must do to limit climate change beyond dangerous levels, and what is actually pledged), it is unnerving to think that a 'gap' between Kyoto commitment periods could seriously hinder any progress which has been made to date.

"There also needs to be a clear mandate and timescale for achieving a deal which will also include major players that are not party to the Kyoto protocol. Climate change is a problem which will affect us all, some more than others, and it is essential that we address this problem now. Nature will not wait for us to make up our minds.

"Grenada's Environment Minister, Mr Karl Hood, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), has said: "We in AOSIS have not come here to negotiate ourselves out of existence, but this is what will happen if we give in to some of the proposals put forward in the last couple of days".

GUE/NGL MEPs, Bairbre De Brún and Sabine Wils are in Durban, South Africa this week for the COP17 climate change talks.You can follow their work and their reactions to day-to-day developments during these talks at: www.guengl.eu/cop17

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:

David Lundy +32 485 50 58 12

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20

david.lundy@europarl.europa.eu

gabrielle.kavanagh@europarl.europa.eu

European United Left / Nordic Green Left

European Parliamentary Group

www.guengl.eu