Copehagen: African nations are expected to reject a deal forged by Ethiopia, France and the UK

African nations are expected to reject a deal forged by Ethiopia, France and

the UK aimed at breaking the deadlock at the summit, the BBC has learned.

The deal - said to have been organised during Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles

Zenawi's recent visit to Paris - would have raised funds for financing clean

development and climate adaptation through "innovative mechanisms" including

taxes on air travel and on bank transactions."






Copenhagen police fire tear gas at climate protesters



David Shukman says a line of riot police is slowly closing in on the

protesters

Police have fired tear gas as hundreds of protesters tried to break through

a perimeter fence at the UN climate summit venue in Copenhagen.

The Bella Centre, where the conference is taking place, has now been shut

off, says the BBC's Sarah Mukherjee.

Activists have been angered by lack of progress on a new climate deal and

also by restrictions on access to the talks.

In another development, Danish environment minister Connie Hedegaard has

resigned as summit president.

She will be replaced by Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

Ms Hedegaard said the meeting was procedural, adding: "With so many heads of

state and government having arrived, it's appropriate that the prime

minister of Denmark presides."

Marchers held

Police said they had arrested about 100 protesters as they marched to the

summit across Copenhagen.

The BBC's David Shukman, who is outside the Bella Centre, says there has

been a tense stand-off between protesters and police.

As government ministers from around the world join the talks, Danish

officials have cut the number of campaigners allowed in.

Thousands of would-be delegates have queued for hours to gain access to the

conference venue - many unsuccessfully.

Those unable to take part on Wednesday included campaign group Friends of

the Earth.

It said its delegates had arrived at the centre to find their badges were no

longer valid.





COPENHAGEN LATEST

Danish environment minister Connie Hedegaard resigns as president of the

summit to be replaced by Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen

The start of "high-level" talks, with prime ministers and other dignitaries,

is delayed after developing countries protested about procedural issues.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon suggests a climate change deal might not include a

figure on financial aid for developing countries, UK's Financial Times

reports.

Updated: 11:47 GMT, 16 December





Climate change in graphics

Q&A: Copenhagen summit

Some campaigners said that after marching to the summit they would try to

break in.

Inside the conference, Wednesday's "high-level" session, due to be addressed

by prime ministers and other dignitaries, was delayed when several

developing countries protested about procedural issues.

China said the process chosen by the Danish hosts "lacked transparency".

Others complained that rewritten texts were being pushed through without

proper consultation.

The BBC's environment correspondent Richard Black says the summit has been

plagued by claims from poorer countries that the Danes have tailored the

shape of negotiations to suit the EU's desired outcomes.

Delegates still have a huge number of fundamental issues to address before

the summit ends at the end of the week, our correspondent says.

These include the size of emissions cuts by developed nations, how finance

should be raised and disbursed, and most fundamentally, whether a deal here

should aim to keep the global temperature rise to 2C or 1.5C.

Draft text released to delegates and obtained by the BBC makes clear that

the most important parts of any eventual deal have still to be decided.

Temperature targets are still in the text as alternatives, our correspondent

says. Proposed figures for emission cuts by developed nations - apart from

the US - range from 15% by the period 2013-2017 to 49% by 2013-2020.

The section on finance consists entirely of paragraphs in square brackets,

meaning that none of it has been agreed, our correspondent adds.





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Glossary in full Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has suggested

that poor countries may have to give up their hope of getting immediate

long-term financial commitments from richer countries.

The amount of aid rich nations will pay poorer ones to combat global warming

has been one of the main stumbling blocks at the summit.

In an interview with the UK's Financial Times, Mr Ban said he did not think

the exact amount was vital to the current deal.

"If they are not able to agree this time at Copenhagen, then there needs to

be some initial arrangement. This is a time when common sense, compromise

and partnership should prevail," he said.

In another development on Wednesday, African nations are expected to reject

a deal forged by Ethiopia, France and the UK aimed at breaking the deadlock

at the summit, the BBC has learned.

The deal - said to have been organised during Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles

Zenawi's recent visit to Paris - would have raised funds for financing clean

development and climate adaptation through "innovative mechanisms" including

taxes on air travel and on bank transactions.

US hopes

Despite the difficulties, the White House says US President Barack Obama,

who will join world leaders in Copenhagen later in the week, is confident of

reaching a deal.

"The president believes that we can get... an operational agreement that

makes sense in Copenhagen, over the next few days," spokesman Robert Gibbs

told a briefing.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is already in Copenhagen, told reporters

on Tuesday that it was a critical moment.

"This is a very important moment for the world," Mr Brown said.

"It is possible that we will not get an agreement and it is also true that

there are many issues to be sorted out. But I am determined... to do

everything I can to bring the world together."

More than 120 leaders will formally join the talks on Thursday, aiming to

seal an accord by Friday.