Well the 0542 train was worth it as I got to the front of the queue to get into the COP-15 talks. Only problem was I didn’t have the secondary pass to be able to gain the primary pass. I’m beginning to see why UN negotiations on anything are so complicated. Anyway, after some cold war-esque negotiations I’m now in, and have wandered about the labryinth of plenary sessions, meeting rooms and side events picking up titbits on the role of children in helping to adapt to climate change, and hearing a presentation from the USA Copenhagen 2009 team explaining how the ice caps are thinning.
The UK Climate Secretary Ed Milliband is about to chair a meeting to try and nail down some agreements on long term financing for adaptation and mitigation, a key area requiring progress today. He’ll be keen to make progress as Gordon Brown is in the talks today and will share a platform with the Prime Minister of Denmark and the Secretary-General of the United Nations at 1730 Copenhagen time. I think there is almost no chance of getting into this meeting as some of the meetings here are held behind closed doors (well you can peek in, but that is about it). There is loads going on everywhere though. I wandered into the rooms set aside for the use of each of the countries and spotted Ed Milliband striding out of the UK rooms towards the EU work area in advance of the event he is about to chair. No doubt he wants to make sure the UK and EU are singing from the same hymn sheet. He held the door open for me though, nice chap. I’m off to see if I can get into that meeting, and if no joy, I’ll head to a UN group on the consequences of climate change. More later…
