COPENHAGEN MID-MANAGERS MEET

Ministers lead climate change talks in Copenhagen
16 December 2009 (BBC News)

"Environment ministers are holding talks at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen amid threats [from activists] angered by logistical issues and a lack of progress on a deal…to disrupt proceedings.

"The White House said President Barack Obama, who will join world leaders in Copenhagen later in the week, is confident of reaching a deal…[though] talks are deadlocked over emission cuts and financial aid for poorer countries…

"…For the last two mornings, thousands of campaigners have queued for hours to gain access to the conference venue - many unsuccessfully…Now, with ministers and their aides joining the conference, the organisers have slashed the number of other delegates allowed in…A spokeswoman from the Climate Justice Action group says demonstrations amounting to 'mass civil disobedience' are planned...The groups says some 15,000 delegates have been effectively "locked out" of the summit…"

Words and images from the other side, provided by Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now. Take a few extra minutes to hear and see things unlikely to turn up on the nightly news. From ThisBoyTV via YouTube

"The high-level phase of the talks began on Tuesday, with environment ministers and negotiators from 193 countries struggling to make progress on core issues…More than 120 leaders will formally join the talks on Thursday, aiming to seal an accord by Friday. Just days before a climate deal is due to be completed, there is clearly still an immense amount of negotiating left to do…

"Unresolved issues include…the size of emissions cuts by developed nations…how finance should be raised and disbursed, and most fundamentally, whether a deal here should aim to keep the global temperature rise to 2C or just 1.5C…

"…[Though] the American negotiator at the conference said he did not expect to offer any further cuts in US carbon emissions…Developing countries have accused industrialised nations of going back on their commitment to fight climate change."