On the second day of the Copenhagen climate summit, an agreement between rich nations which would undo an equitable principle enshrined in the Kyoto protocol has provoked an angry reaction from developing countries. Kyoto recognised that those countries which have produced the majority of the greenhouse gases have the greatest responsibility for tackling the resulting climate change.

The document referred to as the Danish Text was leaked to The Guardian, which reported: "The UN Copenhagen climate talks are in disarray today after developing countries reacted furiously to leaked documents that show world leaders will next week be asked to sign an agreement that hands more power to rich countries and sidelines the UN's role in all future climate change negotiations.

"The document is also being interpreted by developing countries as setting unequal limits on per capita carbon emissions for developed and developing countries in 2050; meaning that people in rich countries would be permitted to emit nearly twice as much under the proposals.

"The so-called Danish text, a secret draft agreement worked on by a group of individuals known as 'the circle of commitment' - but understood to include the UK, US and Denmark - has only been shown to a handful of countries since it was finalised this week."

"The reason is that the Umbrella group - known because it brings together all the rich and renegade polluters - the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and sometimes, Russia, is asking for a completely different deal. They want to undermine the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is based on the distinction between the polluters who created the problem and others who need their right to development. The rich also want to scrap the Kyoto protocol, which gives them legally binding targets and forces compliance."

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