Clock ticking

The European Union is making a last-minute plea to the major parties at the Copenhagen climate summit with an emergency meeting on the eve of the summit's final day.

On Thursday evening, the EU's Swedish presidency and the European Commission issued a joint statement calling for "a meeting with relevant players to be convened this evening to help build a consensus for a global deal."

According to the statement, the goal of the meeting would be "to decisively step up the negotiations."

It was not clear exactly which countries are meant by "relevant players." The meeting could take place Thursday night following a state dinner hosted by Denmark's Queen Margrethe.

In an earlier statement, the EU said it was concerned that not enough progress had been made. It said that parties should "urgently go to the outer limits of their flexibility" to reach a deal that the 120 world leaders attending the conference could sign.

"The European Union has put concrete proposals on the table and maintains its conditional offer to do more, if others, especially the major emitters, improve their offers as well," the statement said.

European offer on table

EU members have pledged to cut greenhouse gasses by 20 percent by 2020 compared to levels in 1990. Europe has even offered greater cuts if other developed nations make similar pledges.

French president Nicholas Sarkozy said that the talks risked "heading straight for catastrophe."

"There is less than 24 hours. If we carry on like this it will be a failure," he said.

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said he expected US President Barack Obama, who was set to arrive on Friday, would improve on his country’s offer.

The US has pledged the equivalent of a three percent cut from 1990 levels.

"I really expect them to announce something more because if they don't do it, others will find an excuse also not to move," Barroso said.

"As far as I know he's coming here to show leadership - what everybody expects from the United States of America and from President Obama himself."

Demand for emission checks

However, the US wants countries including China and India to accept international inspections on climate change cuts, describing this as a "deal breaker."

"Coming back with an empty agreement would be far worse than

coming back empty-handed," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

China said that a new US pledge to mobilize $100 billion a year (69 billion euros) in climate change funding for poorer nations was a "good step."

mz/rc/ReutersAFP/DPA

Editor: Kyle James