Opening Statements

After the encouraging welcome speech of the senior adviser Mr. Fukuyama, the conference started with one minute opening statements from each government delegate.

Although each delegate stresses the importance for cooperation, one could clearly hear the old tension  between developed and developing countries. The first ones willing to take over responsibility but only if emerging countries do their part.The second ones accusing developed countries for causing all the problems their facing. 

Facing this struggle we don't have to forget that countries like the Maldives and  the Sudan are facing real problems and the need for solutions is urgent.

Let us hope the commitments for active cooperation are not only pure words, but that their will follow actions.

Common objectives and first differences...

The dinner hosted by the Indian delegation offered a great opportunity for delegates to undertake first steps towards gauging their counterparts' views and positions on issues of respective interest.

Notwithstanding countries' conventional takes on the issues at stake, they demonstrated promising willingess to align their positions to reach a mutually beneficial agreement on the days to come.

In an attempt to push the negotiation agenda forward, and as a sign of good will, the Chinese industry representative expressed his desire to achieve predictable global legislation - giving countries space to reach common ground in the upcoming negotiations.

On behalf of the G-77, the Sudanese delegate stressed the need for financial transfers from industralized nations towards the LDC in order to achieve a reduction of carbon emissions. Furthermore, she stressed the necessity and urgency of reaching an agreement on enviromental legislation that would mitigate climate change effects in their countries. Nonetheless, several industrial nations promptly expressed concern with these demands, notably on the magnitude of these financial transfers.

Despite promising trends observed during the dinner, civil society organizations openly criticized countries' commitments, arguing they are 'not going far enough'. It is expected that organizations such as Greenpeace will engage in more outspoken protests throughout the negotiations to make their voices heard.

Kick-Off

The delegates arrived to Berlin!

In the picturesque setting of the strategically located Swiss Embassy in the governmental district of German's capital city, the negotiators were received by high officials of the Swiss Embassy, as well as the German Federal Ministry of the Environment.



The speakers held captivating introductory remarks, stressing the importance of the upcoming talks and launching a vital impetus for the conclusion of a successful round of negotiations.

After the initial contact among delegates, the table was set for informal conversations to begin...

World Summit on Climate Change 2010 - Negotiating the Berlin Protocol

Governments, representatives of industry and civil society are gathering right now to negotiate a global agreement on climate change in Berlin.

The negotiations take place on June 1st and 2nd within the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Delegates from around the world are meeting in three committees: Clean Development Mechanism, Mitigation and Adaptation. The objective is nothing less than to come to a binding agreement that is to serve as the basis for a sustainable future of our planet.

As the story unfolds, stay tuned to live reporting by the oikos media productions team. We serve exclusive in-depth coverage, reporting straight from the heart of the negotiations in Berlin!