Negotiations unblocked – Danes withdraw compromise proposal

Ministers and negotiators are finally sitting down to negotiate with the agreement that UN draft texts produced earlier this week, not new Danish compromise proposals, will be the basis for the rest of the talks.

UN climate chief Yvo de Boer delivered the news at a press conference in the Bella Centre an hour ago.

Two contact groups are being set up, one under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiating track (see draft text) and one under the Kyoto protocol negotiating track (see draft text). These can designate sub-groups to go away and look at particular topics.

They will report back to the plenary in "a matter of hours". "By the beginning of the evening we have to take stock again of where we stand," Mr de Boer said.

Denmark's plans to propose new compromise texts under both negotiating tracks was met with vehement opposition from developing countries yesterday.

Mr de Boer welcomed US secretary of state Hillary Clinton's support for US$100bn in long-term climate financing for developing countries, but said he was "keenly looking forward to the US contribution".