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Af - Redaktion 14-09 2009 - 06:31

While melting glaciers and less sea ice to make Greenland one of the places in the world who are most affected by climate change, Greenlanders will be allowed to pollute up to 14 times more than today, according to Danish daily Politiken.

Premier Kuupik Kleist has announced he will refuse to sign a new global agreement on climate change during the Copenhagen summit in December if Greenland is not allowed to increase its emissions.

‘Should we have any hope economic growth and free ourselves from the Danish block grant, we must develop our economy,’ Kleist said.

Greenland’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2007 were 650,000 tonnes. But that could rise to 10 million tonnes, if the administration’s plan to attract new industries is realised.

These include an agreement with the US-based Alcoa to build an aluminium smelter.

Danish Climate Minister Connie Hedegaard said she would work with Greenland to find a solution, but rejected the country’s demand that its per capita emissions rise to 170 tonnes.