By Tierney Smith, John Parnell and Ed King
RTCC in Durban
Welcome to Responding to Climate Change’s live coverage of COP17 in Durban. Our team of Ed King, John Parnell and Tierney Smith will keep you updated on the talks all day – every day.
Breaking news will initially appear on our Twitter feed below, together with pictures and gossip from the conference. We’ll also be updating this page on an hourly basis with the latest developments.
You can contact our team in Durban via email or through Twitter. Check our interviews at the UNFCCC Climate Change Studio analysis from delegates, diplomats and ministers.
Saturday, December 3
1940 (GMT+2)
@rtcc_edking: Couple of lines to finish night with. Bolivia’s head of delegation tells us they’re speaking as one with their Latin American partners when insisting on a comprehensive global deal that includes developing and developed nations. Poland’s under-secretary of state for the Environment told my colleague Daniel Schweimler that a legally binding treaty was the basis for any step forward – and claimed the EU were setting an example for all parties in Durban.
And finally, the Swiss Ambassador for the Environment Franz Perez told me the negotiations were moving slowly, and that a number of key issues had yet to be resolved. He called on all states to recognise their obligations to the environment. he was unable to offer much detail on the fate of the Green Climate Fund, with opinion still polarised over the mechanism that should finance any new deal.
1640 (GMT+2)
@rtcc_john: More subdued atmosphere in the conference centre this afternoon. Lots of preparation work to be done by delegations ahead of the arrival of their ministers in the coming days.
1503 (GMT+2)
@rtcc_tierney: I am back in the ICC having spent the morning out on the Global Daily of Action march, and as the crowds gathered to pass their memorandum to UNFCCC Cheif Christiana Figueres and COP17 President Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Figueres spoke to the crowd about the wisdom shared with her by the children of the RTCC ‘One World’ musical earlier in the week – “do more, do more and once you have done that, do more” she told the crowds.
1350 (GMT+2)
@rtcc_john: India says it wants to wait till after 2015 before talks on a global deal begin, even though China has said it will consider an agreement on legally binding cuts. More to follow…
1257 (GMT+2)
@rtcc_john: Update from @rtcc_tierney on the protest in Durban. Crowds as far as can she can see in both directions, estimates 20,000 people in total with more scheduled to join in later in the day.
1212 (GMT+2)
@rtcc_john: UK climate skeptic Lord Monckton is touring the exhibit halls in Durban. See our video of his face-off with the head of the WMO.
1114 (GMT+2)
@rtcc_john: Another photo from @rtcc_tierney as onlookers in Durban watch the procession push its way through the streets of the city centre towards the venue of the UN’s climate change talks and beyond to the beach. Helicopters even louder now so I assume the march is right on our doorstep now. Riot police present but all looks friendly so far.
1050 (GMT+2)
@rtcc_john: Just received this photo from @rtcc_tierney on the march past the COP17 venue. I can hear helicopters buzzing around over head so they are obviously being closely watched!
0930 (GMT+2)
@rtcc_john: While most of the world enjoys the weekend, it’s all go in Durban. An estimated 30,000 protesters are expected to march past the venue of COP17 later today with a rally planned on the beach afterwards. @rtcc_tierney will be following its progress.
Delegates inside the halls will be racing to tie-off as many loose-ends as possible before the heads of state and ministers start arriving for the so-called “high-level segment” that kicks-off in earnest on Monday.
Yesterday saw a series of informal consultations on the Green Climate Fund. Although there will be no formal agreement till next week, talks have seemed to move on to the nitty gritty logistics. This could suggest a deal is back on track after a slightly shaky period earlier in the week.
As expected prior to the start of COP17, the IMO has been nominated to look at how it could regulate greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping industry.
Negotiations on REDD+ carried on so late in to the evening that we still don’t know what the outcome was!
@rtcc_john will be getting an update from the Indian delegation later today as well as montoring the main plenary for progress on technology transfer and potential for carbon capture and storage as a CDM activity.
Meanwhile @rtcc_edk will be talking to some top delegates today at the UNFCCC Climate Change Studio including those from Japan, Norway and the lead Australian negotiator.