Obstacles to a Copenhagen Deal That Don’t Make Headlines

The central obstacles to an agreement at the Copenhagen climate conference today are Chinese resistance to international emissions verification and longstanding disagreements between developed and developing countries over the degree of climate action needed.

But there are other, more mundane concerns that could preclude a deal. Buried in a New York Times story is this anecdote, regarding rumors that negotiators might have to stay in Copenhagen an extra day to conclude an accord:

Albi Modise, a spokesman for the South African delegation, said a deal has to come tonight. “We can’t be here until Saturday night. Our visas expire tomorrow,” he said.