Addressing the media on the final day of the Barcelona talks, Yvo de Boer said that progress had been made during the week and that he was confident that Copenhagen would deliver a strong deal, which must include the immediate implementation of key actions in developing countries.

Mr. de Boer spoke about the strong sense that the Kyoto Protocol needs to continue. He also said that the Copehagen agreement must record, in black and white, the accountable commitments of individual governments.

He stressed the urgency for industrialised countries to raise their ambitions and, in particular, the importance of the U.S. announcing a clear, numerical mid-term emissions target. There was also a need, he said, for industrialised nations to provide clarity on the amount of short and long-term finance to which they will commit.

With Copenhagen just four weeks away, Mr. de Boer said that Barcelona had underlined both in a dramatic and in a quiet way that commitment and compromise will make Copenhagen the turning point. (less info)