"With less than five days left, we must get the work started. We need to work on the content."
This was the message from COP President Connie Hedegaard, who had called a meeting to find a solution in the negotiation process over the next few days.

The proposal from the Presidency is to hold informal consultations on difficult issues that require political guidance. The first informal group will address the issue of long-term emissions reductions for the industrialised countries that are party to the Kyoto Protocol. The group will be chaired by Germany and Indonesia.

“The EU appreciates the format presented by the Danish Presidency. The world has waited long enough. We want to start working and we naturally want to discuss all the issues in the Kyoto Protocol. Let us start now”, said Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren.

Many countries were concerned that they would not get an insight into the informal groups. Connie Hedegaard explained that they would be open and that everyone would have the opportunity to attend. Sudan protested against the proposal, saying that Africa must be represented among the Chairs, because the African countries are most vulnerable to climate change. However, Sudan’s proposal did not receive support from other delegates or the secretariat.