Tuesday 15 December 2009

COP15: 15 Dec snippets #4

> Monday morning. The world turned up today: it took me an hour's queuing in the 1 degree cold to get to the front door of the Conference Centre with my precious pass; thousands are stuck outside just trying to register. When I get inside I'm told the winding queue for new registrations was measured at 4 kms long. You read that right. 40,000 people have now tried to register to attend the conference's final days. On Friday, when 100+ heads of state turn up with their entourages, only 90 NGO people of the 25,000 here will be able to get in.

> Tuesday morning it starts snowing, as the flashing sign says to the thousands waiting "expect a 5 hour wait to register for the conference". A 5 hour wait outdoors that is.

> Connie Hedegaard, Danish Minister of Climate Change and Chair of the Conference, briefs NGOs, telling them to 'keep up the pressure'. She insisted that now is the time for a deal, that science and everything else is available, over 100 heads of states will be here, there will not be another chance. Postponing will not help but rather complicate so the pressure from civil society must absolutely remain firm.

> She also says "Finance is crucial, long term decisions are needed, a number of ministers are carrying out consultations on financial issues. A levy on financial transactions probably can't be designed and agreed this week but one on aviation and shipping could." Whoa, that would be big news!

> 11.37 am Monday - rumour reaches me that the African Group G77 has walked out of the "contact talks" this morning. The pace is quickening. Tuesday mormning it's India and China that are supposed to have walked out. Best place to figure out what's going on is the BBC rather than here.

> At Carbon Disclosure Project session "CDP is working with a number of govermments on mandatory disclosure proposals. We're encouraging governments to talk with each other so they can have a harmonised regulations."  Indian ex-Minister Suresh Prabhu: "can't we have an integrated financial system that includes carbon disclosure? Mandated? Baselines, MRV and standards need to be fully integrated."

> One friend responded to the snippet about research into how to promote bicycle use in Mexican by suggesting Mexico consider subsidies for bike purchases by women. I will ask my contact to pass it on!

> According to Danish pumps company Grundfos, pumps consume 20% of all electrical energy generated around the world. Apparently they are in more places than you can imagine.

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