Good news from Montreal

It's been a rollercoaster of a ride. But it's fantastic to be able to report that there's been a major breakthrough in the climate talks.

All night session

After late night drama on Thursday night when the US walked out of the talks, Friday was scheduled to be the last day of the conference in Montreal.

It was a tense morning. NGOs met to analyse the fast-moving situation and to identify any last chance to influence events.

Meetings went on all day. We then heard that after a break early evening that talks would resume at 8.00p.m.

Campaigners and delegates braced themselves for an all-night sitting, waiting anxiously in corridors, huddling in meetings, trying to keep awake, too nervous to doze off.

Despite a last ditch attempt by the Russians to wreck the deal, by early morning everyone was called back into the plenary session and it was all over.

Catherine Pearce at the centre of a media scrum

What's the deal?

Government leaders have reached an historic deal on future action to tackle climate change. The key points of the deal are:

• Decisions have been made about the finer workings of the current Kyoto Protocol.
• There will be a review of the Kyoto Protocol, and the Climate Convention. This will allow discussions for action including all nations (not just industrialised ones).
• Most importantly, the industrialised countries have agreed to start talks right away on the cuts they will deliver after 2012.

This is a clear signal that the Kyoto agreement is alive and well. Leaders have shown that much-needed progress can be made. The Government of Canada deserves real praise for the role it played in making the Montreal meeting a success.

Catherine Pearce, International Climate Campaigner

Why does this matter?

The meeting in Montreal will not on its own stop climate change. But as Tony Juniper said:

This signal will reverberate in political and business circles. Those who said that this level of agreement was impossible have been proved wrong. Those who tried to destroy international agreement on climate change have lost a decisive campaign. Future campaigning will be on far more solid ground than we had even a month ago.

Tony Juniper, Executive Director, Friends of the Earth

The Friends of the Earth International team wave goodbye!

Back home

So tired but relieved, the Friends of the Earth International team members return to our various countries.

But of course - even though the meeting has had a more positive outcome than we feared - it doesn't end here.

Now we must ensure that governments meet the cuts that they already agreed to - and that they go much further after 2012.

Historic agreement strengthens global resolve on climate change

Katie Elliott and Joanna Watson , our Climate Campaigners are sending daily updates direct from the COP 11 talks in Canada.

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