Ecumenicals Express "Hope" for Climate Deal as Summit Enters Overtime

As delegates in Copenhagen prepared on Friday to enter into overtime negotiations on global climate policy, the officials received a letter of hope and encouragement from an ecumenical body to act boldly and quickly towards reaching a binding, effective agreement.

"We have a hope and the sign of hope we foresee is a Copenhagen global agreement," the World Council of Churches said in a statement sent to conference delegates.

"The future is here, the future is now," the statement continued. "The time is now to take decisions that will guarantee that in 2012 we have implemented an adequate answer to the worries that were raised in 1972!"

"Do not be afraid! Act now!" it exclaimed.

In continuing negotiations, the WCC also urged leaders to have an attitude of humility rather than superiority, saying that admitting the faults of their countries would be instrumental in allowing for an agreement to be met.

"In view of the need of trust-building steps we ask you to admit to be aware that all countries at some moments fail in mutual understanding, sensitivity and love," the letter said. "We ask you to confess that as a negotiation tactic every country tends to persist in denying its own faults while pointing a splinter in its neighbours' eyes, using all means and possible occasions to claim its own moral superiority."

"We ask you to transform international politics by overcoming these weaknesses, for the future of humankind and the earth as we know it," it continued.

On Friday, world leaders were asked to stay overnight by the UN after the last official day of negotiations ended at an impasse.

Later in the evening, the Obama administration reported that a "meaningful agreement" between the U.S., China, Brazil, India and South Africa on climate change had been reached, BBC said.

According to U.S. President Barack Obama the group of leaders had, "agreed to set a mitigation target to limit warming to no more than 2C and, importantly, to take action to meet this objective," adding that the leaders are "confident that we are moving in the direction of a significant accord."

A briefing on further proceedings from Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen is scheduled to be given to the plenary at 11 p.m. local time on Friday.

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