West blamed for climate change

A meeting of developing nations, including South Africa, ended on Friday with an agreement that the industrialised West was responsible for most climate change.

“Industrialised countries have become industrialised because they used common space - atmosphere,” said Luiz Alberto Figueredo Machado, a Brazilian representative.

Machado was speaking at the close of a meeting between Brazil, South Africa, India and China on climate change, ahead of a larger meeting to be held later in Qatar.

South Africa and the other developing nations said the issue of equity was one of the problems that should be addressed ahead of the meeting.

Machado said the problem of equity was one where the developing nations needed more leeway in emitting carbon, as opposed to developed nations which had already industrialised. - Sapa