Can a deal be done at the last minute?
I returned from Copenhagen last night as the paper trail continued to grow longer, the protests louder and the fear that a deal will not be secured even stronger.
The final day at the Bella Centre and the pressure from around the world to seal a deal is reaching a crescendo.
A draft political agreement drawn up by a small group of countries was rejected during overnight discussions and the EU did not raise its offer on cutting emissions from 20% to 30%, as some observers had anticipated.
Today, the US President Barack Obama arrived to issue a rallying call, telling world leaders that time is running out to strike a deal.
He told the audience: “While the science of climate change is not in doubt, I think our ability to take collective action is in doubt right now, and it hangs in the balance.”
He said he had come to Copenhagen “not to talk, but to act”. Unchecked, he said, climate change would pose “unacceptable risks” to international security, the world economy and the planet.
After their speeches, President Obama and the Chinese Premier met for nearly an hour. But that doesn’t seem to have stopped the blame game in its tracks. The US is being blamed for coming too late to the table with an improved funding offer, while China is accused of blocking a deal.
And with only six and a half hours to go.
