No X’mas trees at climate meet

Danish foreign ministry doesn't want to offend non-Christian members

No X'mas trees at climate meet

Danish foreign ministry doesn't want to offend non-Christian members

Participants in the COP15 climate summit should not be subject to Christmas symbols such as fir trees, says the foreign ministry

Although the COP15 climate conference is set to take place during the Christmas season, the Foreign Ministry believes the holiday and all its symbols should be kept well clear of the summit.

That point was bluntly illustrated when a sponsorship providing numerous Nordmann fir trees for the conference was rejected by the ministry.

The trees the most common species used as Christmas trees in Denmark were intended to be placed as decorations for the entrance of Bella Center, where the conference is taking place.

But Christmas is a religious holiday that has no place at a United Nations function, according to the Foreign Ministry's Svend Olling, who is the head of practical planning for the climate summit.

"We have to remember that this is a UN conference and, as the centre then becomes UN territory, there can be no Christmas trees in the decor, because the UN wishes to maintain neutrality," said Olling.

Nordmann firs otherwise fully live up to the climate-friendliness standards of the summit's organisers.

Did you know?

Nordmann firs are among the best trees at binding carbon dioxide and preventing its release into the atmosphere

Draft Agreement Leak Sparks Furore

AMassive rifts are breaking out at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen over leaked documents that make major concessions to developed countries.

The so-called Danish text, which has been co-written by developed countries including the hosts, the US and the UK alls for a "circle of commitment" excluding poorer nations.

The document gives more weight to the developed world, including proposals to allow their citizens to emit twice as much than their counterparts in less-developed countries.

In a complete departure from the guiding principle of the Kyoto protocol, richer nations are not required to take on binding commitments
on emissions.

The text hands climate change finance to the World Bank, completely discards Kyoto, and commits only to maintaining global temperature rises of 2C.

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