Things are hotting up3 December 2005
Well as you can see, it's snowing again. But things are hotting up inside the conference centre.
Yesterday evening the talks began to focus on the key issue - what will happen after the current commitments end in 2012?
These are called the Article 3.9 discussions and they are the most important and sensitive part of the negotiations. They are not about setting new targets - they are about setting up a process for how to continue beyond 2012.
We are at a crossroads, the world is looking at us. Success with 3.9 is the litmus test for the legitimacy of the Protocol
Stephane Dion, President of the Conference
Crucial talks
Three proposals are on the table from the G77 countries and China, the EU and Japan. Discussions were heated and protracted but there were some positive developments. The Chair will prepare a compilation of the proposals and discussions continue on Saturday.
Safe sculpture.
But from what?
But from what?
Yuri Onadera from Friends of the Earth Japan commented that he felt there was a new energy and passion in the discussions that has been absent for the last few years - a real sense of urgency and the need for action.
But there are still plenty of vested interests who are keen to block progress. We await the outcomes from Saturday.
Meeting with Dion
Catherine met with Dion and the Canadian delegation in a closed session this morning. She took the opportunity to get our views across and he seemed interested in our ideas.
Representatives of CAN (the Climate Action Network) met with the EU delegation to discuss the Papua New Guinea proposal on deforestation (see yesterday's report) and received a sympathetic hearing.
Fossil of the Day
Japan was given this coveted award because of their proposal for a fail safe accounting system for emissions - setting such a high threshold that it would be impossible to fail. Canada got one too for supporting Japan!
Climate March
The message on the wall today reads 'Marchez Pour Le Climat - March for the Climate' - promoting the climate march tomorrow. All the Friends of the Earth International team is hoping to go on the march and carry our eye-catching flags in solidarity with all the other climate events around the world this Saturday.
We're very excited to think that our colleagues in London will also be marching - though 5 hours in front of us!
Katie Elliott and Joanna Watson , our Climate Campaigners are sending daily updates direct from the COP 11 talks in Canada.
© Philip McMaster/Friends of the Earth
