Crunch!
The Bella Centre was finally closed to all non-government stakeholders in the face of violent demonstration and a pronounced escalation of security. We believe even the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency may have been caught up in the lockdown while outside the Centre.
With just two days left, the talks took a dramatic turn of events, as the President of the conference, Connie Hedegaard, unexpectedly resigned this morning. She will be replaced by her boss the Danish Prime Minister. There are competing explanations for this development. The Danes themselves argue this was always planned and an appropriate step in light of the numbers of Heads of State participating. An incredulous audience questioned this:
- if it was planned why was it not announced at the outset? Connie resigned around 5 am this morning;
- if it was protocol to handover to the PM, why has this never happened in any other COP or under any other treaty?
The only certainty is that whether by design or disaster they have succeeded in merely further focusing attention in these remaining hours on process rather than outcome.
There was more confusion within the hall – the Brazilian Delegation took the floor to say that their head negotiator was not present because he was being held at the doors by Security and was not being allowed in, the South African Delegation ‘on behalf of the G77’ asked for another day to finish some issues, and tensions only grew as the day progressed.
It finally fell into turmoil when the Chair said that they would again use the controversial ‘Danish text’ in an effort to move the process along. This predictably inflamed the developing countries and prompted China, India, Brazil and others to proclaim they would formally refuse to continue with any of the talks.
Meanwhile a bomb threat closed the central station and the UK PM Gordon Brown was told it was not safe for him to leave the Bella Centre. Whether it is now safe for any of us to remain in the Bella Centre is another question.
Copenhagen is now covered in deep snow, police and protestors. Comfortingly, Blackhawks now whir through the leaden skies!
