Energy & Environment Pulse - 2011 Climate Change Conference - Monday, 19 December

Despite its sluggish start just over three weeks ago, the Durban climate change conference concluded at a frenetic pace in the early hours of Sunday morning, fifteen hours after the contract for the hire of the conference venue had expired. Ministers and negotiators worked almost non-stop for the final 60 hours to hammer out the details of the compromise deal. Their exhaustion was evident on their faces as they applauded the eventual adoption of the decisions that will shape the future of the international climate regime. Progress has been made, not nearly enough as most would like, but at least there are now some clear signposts for the future agreements and some of the red lines and entrenched positions have now been overcome.  The Ball now passes to the Qatar COP to see these through

In this last Durban edition of this Durban series of Pulse, we set out the main elements of the four key Durban decisions:

• the half-hearted agreement on the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol;
• the part-implementation of the Cancun Agreements;
• the decision related to the Green Climate Fund; and
• the decision launching a process to develop a new "protocol, legal instrument or agreed outcome with legal force"
  (together, the "Durban Outcomes").

We will also briefly discuss a series of decisions adopted relating to the Kyoto Protocol's flexible mechanisms before concluding with some final observations on the overall outcome.