FoE are one of many groups campaigning for climate justice

Friends of the Earth representatives have been barred from the UN climate talks in the Bella Centre in Copenhagen this morning.

Every delegate from the international environmental campaign group arrived at the centre this morning to find their badges were no longer valid.

Friends of the Earth representatives from countries ranging from Nigeria to Japan and Denmark have been taking part in the negotiations over the past two weeks calling for a strong and fair agreement, with rich countries leading the way with emissions cuts of at least 40 per cent by 2020.

Friends of the Earth is petitioning UN climate secretary Yvo De Boer to protest against the ban and calling for members of the public to add their name at www.foe.co.uk.

Friends of the Earth’s Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

“It is a crisis of democracy when campaigning charities like Friends of the Earth are prevented from speaking up on behalf of communities around the globe within the talks themselves.

“We were stunned to discover that every Friends of the Earth delegate has been banned from attending these crucial talks – if this is a consequence of our role as one of the most prominent groups calling for a strong and fair agreement, this is even more disturbing.

“This draconian measure is completely unjustified – the Copenhagen conference is fast becoming an international shambles.”