The opening statements at a glance:

Brasil: confirms UNFCCC goals and wants to play an active role; mentions hard numbers: 38.9% down by 2020; opposes limited commitments by developing countries

Russia: Climate Change has no negative impact; skeptical stance towards the issue and emphasizes actual expected positive effects of climate change, notably on mitigating the harsh winters; However, signalizes willingness to cooperate and will take a steps ONLY if everybody takes a firm stand to Climate Change legislations, developing and developed nations.

Poland: confirm importance of coal industry for the economy of the country; insist on cooperation with the EU countries on broader goals.

India: levels of consumption of Indians need to rise; West has to curb the energy consumption down to the level of India.

Sudan (speaking on behalf of G77): CC is personal problem for the population (sand storms, agriculture); need finance and technology of developed countries, and cooperation from developing countries.

USA: CC is stability and security issue for all the nations; promise to double the renewable capacity in a few years; energy efficiency partnership with the World Bank (for the developing world); promise to reach their commitments by 2050; confirm responsibility for their country to support developing countries in catching up with the technology, etc.

UK: coordinated action is the goal; acknowledge responsibility for the past action; developing countries should switch to low-carbon economies and the government is willing to help with adaptation; mitigation is very important.

China: stresses historical responsibility of developed countries; different levels of emissions of developing countries have to be considered; no mitigation by using developing countries.

Maldives: struggling hard with climate change effects. Increase of 1.5 degrees maximum! Everybody has to reduce emissions; pledge to be carbon neutral by 2020; adaptation fund and other help is needed from the rest of the world.

Venezuela: COP 15 was a failure; developing countries are victims of the problem and thus developed countries have to take full responsibility and provide funds for mitigation and adaptation. 900 billion dollars per year from IC to DC, asap; opposition to CDM and market mechanism.

France: nothing can be done in isolation; CC is beneficial for everybody when becoming a leader in clean technologies,etc; proposal to address potential benefits of combating CC; nuclear is still a good solution in the mid-term; nuclear should be part of CDM and should be used in other countries; continue investment in the renewables.

South Africa: natural resources are of vital importance; green development is the only option; need for many more funds for mitigation and adaptation and has to come from those historically responsible; this is position of the continent of Africa.

Germany: state desire to take leadership in combating CC; global reduction of GHG emission by 50% by 2050, from 1990 levels; German down 40% by 2020 and 80% by 2050; offer of financial and technology support to DC; for CDM; ask IC to follow in the lead.