Inside the UN climate conference (Bella Center)
Monday marked the first full day of climate negotiations in Copenhagen. In spite of pleasant words at the opening sessions, countries remain deadlocked around key issues, including emissions reductions and finance for developing countries.
Unfortunately, rumors are that Denmark, as host and "president" of the conference, has worked with the United States and some European Union countries to draft text for an agreement behind closed doors. The text would likely put in place a weak deal that plays into the U.S. strategy of encouraging countries to pledge their own emissions reductions and does not guarantee long term financing.
African Protest
Late on Tuesday, an impromptu protest filled the negotiating halls following a meeting of African civil society and African parliamentarians. The meeting, led by the lead climate negotiator for the developing countries from Sudan, brought out information about how a 2 degrees target is a condemnation to death for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Africans. African civil society representatives streamed out of the meeting, and after a round of inspired speeches, began chanting: 2 degrees is suicide; 1 degree for 1 Africa!
