During the past four years of attending the COP climate change negotiations, I guess I'm left with one overriding sentiment: Much has been said, but ultimately, little has been done.

As the scientific evidence gets increasingly compelling on the speed at which climate change is occurring, and as the costs for inactivity continue rising, it's really about time that all the parties reached 'consensual' agreement that enough is enough.

Against this backdrop I found myself watching the high-level segment of COP16 with very poignant and moving speeches from the likes of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and EU Climate Head Connie Hedegaard. They used phrases such as, "To come out of Cancun with nothing is not an option," and spoke of the "need to agree to a set of decisions that puts the world on track towards more sustainable growth." So why then is it that countries find it so difficult to put national interest to the side in order to compromise, and thus achieve progress?

The Mexican presidency has gone all out during this COP to foster openness and inclusion. For a process that includes roughly 190 different countries -- in addition to the plethora of NGOs and businesses that sit on the periphery -- this is far from easy. In previous COPs, as the end draws nearer the pressure increases, and so the negotiations go on long into the night in an effort to make some progress and achieve something before proceedings conclude.

This year the Mexican presidency wants to do things differently, which might be the innovation needed to break some of the deadlock. The latest information filtering out of briefings is that this time around, the high-level ministers are working in more of an advisory capacity, ensuring that their negotiating teams are free to do the technical work. In another inspired decision, it is likely that the Mexicans will bring together in a high-level meeting representatives from all the different intergovernmental stakeholder groups for one final push to get some movement. 

Of course, the one voice missing from all this is the private sector, which many governments perceive as the main provider of future climate change finance. Even with these new ideas, I think it is highly likely we'll see long and lengthy negotiations Friday night that may not conclude until the final hours of Saturday morning.

Image CC licensed by Flickr user UN Climate Talks.