Confusion, frustration in final hours of Copenhagen summit

Tensions were high and information was scarce yesterday in Copenhagen, as world leaders tried to conclude two weeks of climate change talks that went past their deadline and into the dead of night amid lots of confusion and frustration.

US President Barack Obama was the main attraction as he flew in for the last day of the conference filling everyone with hope that his much-anticipated afternoon speech would help clinch a last minute deal.

However, it turned out to be anticlimactic with international press calling it "lacklustre" and "nothing new", even though Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi welcomed it as a speech that hit the nail on the head.

Mr Obama called for action instead of dialogue but stood firm by his country's proposals, saying America had made its choice.

The Bella Centre, where the UN summit was being held, was full of journalists trying desperately to catch a glimpse of the elusive rock star American President, with several false-alarm press conferences causing them to run around the venue frantically like headless chickens.

Throughout the day divergent rumours were rife; with some people suggesting an agreement was in sight and others saying hope was all lost.

Reports, that were later denied, also suggested that world leaders were being asked to stay on throughout the weekend instead of returning home empty-handed.

Late at night, after various one-on-one meetings between different regions, there was talk of an agreement being reached by the US, China, India and South Africa and a new draft document being put forward for new discussions.

Critics immediately said the deal would not be enough to tackle dangerous climate change.

On the other hand, the EU heads of state gathered behind closed doors throughout the day to discuss their next steps in the negotiation process.

In the afternoon Dr Gonzi said there was a draft agreement on the table but there was a lot more to discuss. One of the problems was that, while the EU was being represented by its top leaders, other "crucial" stakeholders were not being similarly represented by their top political officials.

If a substantive non-binding political agreement with clear targets and deadlines were to be reached, it would still be a very good win, he said.

He added that America had its own circumstances which had to be understood, but to reach a deal everyone had to make compromises. There needed to be checks and balances as well as comparability across the board.

Dr Gonzi said he would remain hopeful until the end, but while certain speeches were encouraging, others were disheartening.

He added that there had been mention of continuing the negotiations in Mexico next year, or, as an intermediary, in Bonn before.

"But when these things are mentioned it is as if we are resigning ourselves to fail," he said.

Meanwhile, Malta's request to be listed as an Annex I country within the UN framework climate change convention was approved, putting it among the developed countries, with all other EU member states except Cyprus.

The government said this did not mean adding any more burdens or obligations, since the EU community as a whole was already part of Annex I, but this symbolic, specific and legal recognition made Malta's climate change commitment and credibility, clearer and more transparent.