During the UN climate talks in Copenhagen, a group of small island states reported that more than half of the 192 nations present supported tougher goals for limiting global warming than those favored by wealthier nations. The Small Island States alliance expressed concern that many island nations were not represented on a globe displayed at the conference center. Dessima Williams, head of AOSIS, stated that over 100 nations have committed to limiting temperature rises to 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial levels, an increase from the 86 nations that supported this goal in August. She emphasized that a significant portion of the United Nations is advocating for ambitious and specific targets. The least developed nations, primarily in Africa, and small island states are united in their support for the 1.5 Celsius goal, which would necessitate substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by wealthy nations by 2020. Any agreement made in Copenhagen must be approved by all parties involved. The main challenges to reaching a deal in Copenhagen include determining the extent of greenhouse gas reductions by wealthy nations and deciding on the amount of financial aid to be provided to developing countries. The majority of developed countries and key emerging economies, such as China and India, support a target of limiting temperature increase to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Current temperatures have already increased by 0.7 degrees Celsius and are expected to continue rising. Williams stated that those in vulnerable areas are already experiencing the effects of climate change and emphasized the need for a legally binding treaty from Copenhagen rather than a non-binding political agreement favored by many developed nations. She mentioned that despite the current warming trend, many islands were experiencing severe damage such as going underwater or losing their fresh water supply. Some coral reefs were also being harmed by increasing temperatures. There were disagreements within the developing nations' group regarding a proposal from Tuvalu for strong, legally binding agreements from Copenhagen for all countries. While AOSIS members supported Tuvalu's proposal in theory, they were still figuring out a unified stance. China and India supported legally binding reductions in greenhouse gases for wealthy nations under the Kyoto Protocol but wanted less strict requirements for poorer nations. Barry Coates, a representative for Oxfam, compared a political declaration from Copenhagen without legal consequences to a toothless shark. Antonio Lima from Cape Verde and vice chair of AOSIS likened climate change to the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii, stating that now we are aware of the impending disaster facing the planet.