Prime Minister Urges Agreement at Climate Summit

by Andras M. Badics Monday, December 21st, 2009

Hungarian PM Gordon Bajnai’s hopes of a strong Copenhagen agreement evaporated, as the summit failed to produce a firm consensus, according to analysts. The Copenhagen Accord, critics say, is merely a UN decision without legal standing or a timetable defining its transformation into a treaty.

Bajnai, in his preliminary address, had urged tangible results and the “foundations of a just and effective agreement.”

Hungary has exceeded its Kyoto Protocol obligations, for which Hungarians have paid the price, he pointed out. The PM called Hungary one of the EU front-runners of the fight against climate change, adding that per capita emission is already lower than in most developed nations.

Economists close to the political opposition in Hungary have warned that low emission levels are the result of decreased industrial production, a key factor of economic development.