According to the European Union, the United Nations climate change conference which will start on 28 November in Durban, must agree on a roadmap and deadline for finalising an ambitious, comprehensive and legally binding global framework for climate action by all major economies.

The EU will ask at the United Nations climate change conference starting on 28 November in Durban, South Africa, that for entering into a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the conference must agree on a roadmap and deadline for finalising an ambitious, comprehensive and legally binding global framework for climate action by all major economies. Also it ask as condition to make operational the decisions taken last year in Cancún, Mexico, and tackle major issues not resolved there. It should result in a balanced package of decisions acceptable to all Parties. This question was already discussed in February 2011.

European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, the EU supports the Kyoto Protocol. But a second Kyoto period with only the EU, representing 11% of global emissions, is clearly not enough for the climate. Thus, the EU could go for a second Kyoto period if we get reassurances from the other major emitters that they will follow. Additionally, the EU will report in Durban on its good progress in delivering on the €7.2 billion in "fast start" climate finance it has pledged to developing countries over the period 2010-12. Two-thirds of the total – €4.68 billion – has been mobilised to date.

According to the Commission, to accelerate climate action on the ground in the shorter term, Durban must also make operational the decisions taken at last year's conference in Cancún and address key issues that were left unresolved. In particular guidelines to make operational an enhanced system of transparency must be adopted so that it will be clear whether countries are delivering on their emission pledges up to 2020. The EU also wants to see decisions taken that bring into operation the Green Climate Fund for financing climate action in developing countries and new institutions in the areas of technology and adaptation to climate change.