I feel like a fraud writing this blog from outside the Bella Center rather than reporting 'on the ground' - but this is not out of choice. Today’s queues for registration exceeded a four hours in minus 2 degrees, and even once you’d risked losing your extremities to frostbite it still wasn’t possible to get in...The cause for this backlog is still undetermined - rumours were either 'systems down' or security issues related to Gordon and Barack’s arrival this week. 

Even if we had managed to get in, most of the Monday’s meetings were stalled due to protests from a union of developing countries not happy with emissions reduction targets for rich nations. Campaigners supported by echoing around the centre “We stand with Africa - Kyoto targets now"

Dangerous cows

So that was Frustration Monday. Rewind to Saturday, where the 17,000-strong rally of activists from across the world ended with nearly 1,000 people getting arrested, and mayhem ensued.  I’m pretty sure that wasn't where the focus of the rally was meant to be. From all reports it certainly doesn't sound like the protest got out of control, and there’s anger at the Danish police for over reacting - according to a Guardian article one participant reported "Two of my friends are in there. The police said demonstrators had been throwing stones, but my friends were in a cow costume, they wouldn't have been able, physically, to throw stones." I hope if nothing else the cow suit was warm for a night in the specially set up climate jails…

Christmas cheer

The highlight of the weekend was the youth projects from Action Aid (in red) and the Youth Forest Working Group, who sang a climate version of the 12 days of Christmas altered to the 14 days of COP. 

On the LAST day in Denmark

the UN gave to me

Pathetic little targets

No demand side measures

Ecosystems crashing

Palm-oil a-flowing

Emissions a-leaping

No Indigenous rights

Peat lands a-draining

Endangered species

Forests converted ... [pause]

Craaaap MRV

Too much fossil fuels

Trees chain sawed

No strings attached

And a big fat logging subsidy!

Exclusivity

Back to Frustrating Friday. Each of the meetings I wanted to attend on Friday was either too full, had been cancelled or finished early due to the need for 'behind the scenes' talks before further 'public' progress could be made. So we were not happy campers. 

This raises the question of inclusivity. Why should any of the meetings be held behind closed doors? The effects of climate change will have an impact on almost every person on the planet. So why are we being shut off from the negotiation process? 

Good Energy customers have been writing in to tell us they feel the same way. One particular letter that struck us was about the exclusion of persons with disabilities in the process, and particularly those from developing countries. 

“Despite having three law degrees and being a non practising barrister and living in an OECD country, I feel outside the process taking place. What must it be like being disabled, living in Bangladesh without any access to the internet or formal education?”

It seems The UN has failed to implement its own convention of rights for persons with disabilities. Take a look here for further information: http://www.elocalnews.org.uk/page7.html

Skeleton agreement

Alas, one fairly major event did take place this weekend. That was the submission of a draft LCA document Chair’s Proposed Draft Text on the Outcome of the Work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA). Catchy name.  The LCVA document holds the backbone of the potential agreement. It’s still littered with brackets, and missing some major sticking points, but it’s being seen as a step in the right direction (getting something done). India in particular has toned down its opposition to agreements and believes this document is a good starting point for leaders to pick up on towards the end of the week. 

There’s feeling from the industrialised nations that the targets for developing nations aren’t strict enough, but not to the point of stalling meetings. 

The core of the text is that developed nations must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25-45% from 1990 levels by 2020, and a to-be-decided figure of 50, 85 or 95 percent by 2050. A wide range of options.

Interestingly, it doesn’t talk in terms of temperature targets, just emissions targets. And the emission targets calculations are based on a 2 degree rise upper limit. The union of developing nations and particularly the island states would now like to see this reduced to 1.5 degrees, and have reacted to proposed £6.5 bn over the next three years in aid as “inadequate”. 

For a more full explanation of the text see the BBC page - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8407824.stm

For those that weren't involved in the rallying, or preparations of the draft LCA text, the weekend offered the opportunity to see Copenhagen, with those not from the cold North to experience some proper European Christmas ambience.

We’ll be back in the thick of it tomorrow. 

Anya Boyd for Green Energy Republic