Climate coordinator for the Belarusian environmental network, Green Alliance.

Climate coordinator for Norges Naturvernforbund \ Friends of the Earth Norway.

Executive director of Africa’s largest youth led environmental organization, JVE (Jeunes Volontaires pour l'Environnement).

During the first week of negotiations, most meetings ended on time and after six o clock in the evening we were all done for the day.

Now, however, the final high-level days of the conference are getting closer and closer, and the negotiators have to finish their work at least on some of the issues, to be able to have some results to show their ministers as they arrive over the next couple of days.

I was really not aware that the most important thing for a climate negotiatior probably is the ability to stay awake through six straight hours of meetings with almost no food and (at least in the room I am sitting right now) practically no oxygen! No wonder the agreements that they reach are often so watered down and meaningless...

I adore these cheeses with blue and white mustiness. With tomato juice for a wine and nori for bread it makes a delicious snack.

After the meeting I’ve been working with all the mail collected during the week, which was OK to postpone replying. It took me two and a half hours to go through this ten dozens of emails.

Then I felt I needed a day off. Had a walk around this beautiful city.
Done some yoga, had a long hot shower and dipped into Irvin Yalom's book. Slept soundly for twelve hours.

OK, up to noon I've been to CAN's discussion Equity in a Copenhagen deal, Sussex UniEnergy group on UK-India tech transfer and European Commission on developing a global carbon market. They all speak of the barriers and need for more open architecture of climate agreement. South demands resources and equity, North asks for flexibility, openness and precise numbers. I wonder if anybody suggests a framework so that all this stands and notions are no longer opposing parts but a single and all-exclusive approach.

Meeting of the media group. Preparations for youth press conference next week are nip and tuck. Many youth participants express apprehensions of not being effective enough, concerned about doing whatever feasible. To my mind taking into consideration the goals of COP14, NGO are doing pretty well. They urge for an adequate political decision, they blame whoever attempts to back off commitment or intervene the negotiations. I think it’s now 100% well done work.

Then rushing to side-event by GAIA (Global Anti-Incineration
Alliance) on Zero waste for zero warming (http://no-burn.org).
Unexpectedly it's been the most touching presentation so far. Actually not many people in general speak and act what they really think, expressing what they really feel. These guys do! Their sincerity won my heart.

Deeply congruent, true consecutive reasoning, excellent values and position. Covered many topics, including Carbon Capture Storages (and its bio-gas enhanced technologies).

For the first time at COP I see a position based on a moral issue.
Not a consensus on resources allocation but a conscious consuming behavior for everybody. Really good guys.

We've agreed with CAN assistant to organize internet conference for Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Greenpeace Russia already supported the idea. Belarusian Environmental Ministry agreed as well. Hope, we'll manage to undertake it.

For the end of the day I attended Sierra Club side event with Green Jobs Strategies. Nice ideas but bad presentation. I compare it with Van Jones's PopCast http://poptech.com/popcasts/?viewcastid=142

And final event for Friday - CAN Australian and Pacific - stories of youth leadership. Nice, frank and open, not indifferent to and fascinated with doing their best for climate.

Participating in the Media group as well, we help translate information into Russian and submit it to media in Belarus. Today it was a tasty one press-release. I hope our PR-manager will use it properly. Next week is planned for a youth-int huge press-conference. I'm engaged in preparations and going to be a country speaks-person.

There was a launching event of a European Wind Energy Association. It was not in the same pavilion as a COP itself and just in the middle of day, so there were not more than 10 people at the presentation. At the same time this quite a strong presentation of three speakers has brought me to the idea for an anti-nuclear campaign.

Representatives introduced 3tier.com service with a global map of wind power potential which is itself a rather reliable argument even with all the assumptions. They also revealed comparative costs for wind and other energy sources - nuclear, coal, gas, and sun. Bearing on these two pillars, weighty opinions, we may oppose a decision for NPP construction from a competent perspective.

I talk to speakers, they said now the level of economically sound investments in wind power generation is 6m\s. And this is already a very steady level. Speakers promised to send me the detailed information for comparative costs analysis and assumptions taken. I think we can raise a new party of anti-nuclear campaign on it.

Fissile of the day event is becoming stronger in its affection and blaming those parties who are to be ashamed and what a nice cooking and serving of the action! Very well done event. I wish we'll be able to do something of the kind some day.

The meeting rooms are all named after rare or endangered animals,
which makes it easier to remember, but it also causes some bizarre
conversations. "Let's meet at the European Bison in half an hour!"

Bård, reporting from Grouse

Anyway, I am not an EU citizen but alike my other African colleagues we are here to see what response the EU will give to the world on this (apart from having an imposing EU Pavilion here). The EU must commit itself to keep the average temperate of our fragile planet under 2°C.

In fact, the IPCC is coming with more terrible news here at the COP: it seems that they have been too positive and modest in their prevision. Every one knows that their modelisations scenario will fail reality. More floods, heavy rains, extreme weather conditions and particularly quick rise in the sea level make us think that the figures they gave us in their fourth assessment report is likely not realistic.

Then I met Lobanov, the leader of a youth environmental organization in Belarus, he had just arrived and was getting ready to have a speech at the Belarusian side event in the evening.

Rushing to the EU youth meeting. There was an analysis and discussion of the EU shifting position in the negotiations and what can we do in order to affect and stimulate EU stick to their previous commitments. We announced our request for EU folks to help us urge Brussels ratify the Belarusian amendment.

Then I managed to get to the final part of GEF presentation of tech and finance transfer. There was Armenian representative speaking, very interesting.

Againg rushing to a meeting of the media group. We help with monitoring Russian and Belarusian news, translating them as well as being a country contact to spread info into our country.

And now it was one of the very important events - AWG-KP session on national mitigation potential where Russian and Belarus delegates spoke for the first time at this conference. Rather weak and uncertain position of Russia, speaking mostly of the difficulties, not actions and obligations. And I think too categorical position of Belarus. "If the amendment is not ratified till the end of the first commitment period, we won't be able to take obligations for post-Kyoto more than 100% to baseline".

Fossil of the day award was the same beautiful as previously. This time Kuwait and Japan two time got it. :)

Right after this - Belarusian side event. The room was full and even some standing by the entrance and walls. We have posted our Green Alliance comics on climate topics on walls, in 10 min secretariat wrapped them :) very nice presentation from Grebenkov and Lobanov. Many profound questions to them. I'm glad of the presentation and the work done to get it ready.

After there was dinner at the restaurant for those countries who had ratified our amendment. Many people with red badges and an appreciative speech from our deputy Minister of Environment.

Then I had a two-hours walk around the old city. Desperately need some fresh air and physical activity. I enjoy this evening walks very much, haven't got the exact reason why, but for the third time this is a very valuable part of the day. I admire this city in its evening colors.

By the way, why we are here? Craft a comprehensive post-Kyoto climate regime which takes into consideration past agreement namely the Bali Action Plan and the Nairobi framework. For me particularly three fields are of great importance: adaptation, especially the operationalization of the adaptation fund, technology transfer and finance.
After the opening ceremony of the United Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), various subsidiary bodies opened as well: the Ad hoc working group on long term cooperative action (AWG-LCA), the ad hoc working group on the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP), the subsidiary body on implementation (SBI) and the subsidiary body on scientific and technological advice (SBSTTA).

It was obvious what every one is expecting from this conference. While developing countries are keen to see greater progress on the Bali Action Plan which stressed the need for developed countries to reduce drastically their GhG emissions and provide adequate funding and technology for emerging and developing countries, if the world is to avoid some drastic catastrophe.

I also participated in the meeting of NGO Media group and agreed upon coordination and joint work. After this I participated in meeting of NGO Policy group. I discussed the problems with Belarusian amendment to Kyoto. We’ll try rising this issue further.

I listened to a meeting on REDD. Some very strong and exciting speeches from local communities this differs greatly from plenary meetings atmosphere. After this I took part in a meeting on mitigation costs. Scientifically scenarios. Very interesting but beyond my competence, didn't get everything.

Tomorrow will have the Belarusian side-event. I will help our delegation. Looking forward to read everything I need and have some sleep.

So when world leaders decide to do something to it, we, as main voices of the voiceless, happily accompany and readily provide our support whenever necessary. The first of its kind is the Kyoto protocol; less diplomatic and more legally binding by its father, the UN Convention on Climate Change. Developed countries, the main responsible of this situation are requested, less they got punished, to reduce their emissions to 5 % below their emissions of 1990. Goal: stabilize the climate and ensure anthropogenic actions do not jeopardize the rights of other citizens to benefit from a prosperous world. Then, from meetings to meetings, the issue of adaptation came to the forefront. It is simply about allowing poorer nations; positively learn to live with the already existing situation while taking their best of the situation, if at all possible. It is a matter of human right. We call it climate justice! In fact, no matter the world does today; GhG emissions of the past years would make life hard for populations for years to come. Already, it is something people are living with worldwide. Fortunately it has no boarder: farmer in Australia to fishermen in France and doctors in Africa feel the weight of global warming.

Eventually, the international agreement reached in Kyoto is coming soon to its end in exactly four years and there is need to come together, based on new findings design what will be our main reference on the climate management after 2012.

Discussions started in Bali are to continue in Poznan, Poland (the country of Copernicus) and finally end in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009.

We are in the middle of this process. So, I decide also to go to Poznan, no matter what it may take!