Copenhagen Conference on the Brink of Collapse as World Leaders Arrive at Talks (Suzanne Goldenberg, John Vidal and Jonathan Watts)

Dec. 17, 2009 -- COPENHAGEN (Guardian) -- Talks to save the planet from catastrophic climate change were on the brink of collapse this morning as officials from the three main blocs - rich countries, major developing economies, and small island states - said they had given up on getting a substantive deal.

Lars Lokke Rasmussen, left, prime minister of Denmark, with Rajendra Pachauri, centre, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the UN climate chief Yvo de Boer. (Photograph: Anja Niedringhaus/AP)

Even as 115 world leaders began arriving to put their personal imprint on a deal, the summit hosts were admitting they had failed to broker an agreement.

The chaotic end game to the negotiations could mean that world leaders only have time to hastily paper over a face-saving agreement.

In a story headlined Denmark gives up, the influential Berlingske newspaper quoted a senior source in the host delegation, saying the failure was a monumental disappointment to the Danes.

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