Summary of COP6 COP6 is short for the Sixth Session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties. It was the latest round of negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol. The conference was held in The Hague and has been attended by over 7,000 participants from 182 governments, 323 intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and 443 media outlets. The talks had aimed to finalise the Kyoto Protocol and settle disagreements about how far countries could meet greenhouse gas emissions targets by methods other than reducing domestic emissions. The two main disagreements were on the use by countries of "sinks" and "international emissions trading" to meet their Kyoto targets. "Sinks" are things that absorb carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. The most important are forests with the argument that carbon dioxide absorbed by growing trees should be allowed to count towards the Kyoto target. "International emissions trading" is the process by which countries which beat their Kyoto targets can sell permits to emit greenhouse gases up to the amount by which they have beaten their targets. Other countries can then buy these permits and use them to offset emissions above their targets. The main divides were between the "umbrella nations" headed by the US and including Japan, Canada and Australia, and the EU. The umbrella nations wanted to be able to generously count sinks towards targets and have no limit on international emissions trading. The EU was against the use of sinks and wanted to force countries to meet 50% of their targets by domestic action, rather than by using emissions trading and other flexible mechanisms. The talks finished on Saturday 25 November 2000 with no agreement reached. More talks are likely to occur in Bonn next May. For more information see the official COP6 website: http://cop6.unfccc.int