By Martin Banks - 18th June 2009
Danish prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has said he is "confident" a deal will be struck in Copenhagen later this year on finding a successor to the Kyoto protocol on tackling climate change.
However, he told this website he was only optimistic "to a certain degree" that there will be agreement at the much-awaited summit in December.
The UN framework convention on climate change meeting is seen as a critical step in developing a global response to the threat of climate change caused by human activity.
Speaking on the eve of today's EU summit in Brussels, Rasmussen said it was "important" this week's meeting of EU leaders made progress towards brokering a deal.
"We must get everyone on board, including the commission," he said.
"With the European elections recently and the appointment of a new commission president, the issue of climate change has, perhaps, not been at the forefront of people's minds of late but it is important that we deal with it."
When asked how he might convince the public and the leaders of some other countries, such as Poland, of the importance of addressing global warming, he admitted, "The problem is that it is difficult to see the impact of climate change on a day-to-day basis in the same way as, say, the impact of the current economic crisis.
"Our task is to make everyone aware of the significance of the issue."
He said he is convinced it is possible to create economic growth and jobs at the same time as cutting CO2 emissions.
Rasmussen, host of the COP15, was a keynote speaker at European Policy Centre debate in Brussels on the "countdown to Copenhagen".
Meanwhile, the recently-elected prime minister has given his backing to José Manuel Barroso for a second term as commission president.
He told journalists after the debate that he hoped Barroso's re-election would be confirmed at today's summit.
He said, "That is the Danish position. We need a strong commission and one that is not in permanent election mode. For that reason, I will support his re-election today."
Rasmussen also described a mock version of the International Herald Tribune, welcoming "a historic climate-saving" deal as a "very good gimmick".
The eight-page issue, produced by Greenpeace, was circulated outside EU institutions ahead of today's summit.
On the front page it runs a mock story saying markets soared at news of a deal in Copenhagen.
Rasmussen told this website, "I think it a good idea to link efforts on climate change with the economy. I see nothing wrong with this at all."
