An historic event taking place in Montreal, Canada. From November 28 to December 9, it’s hosting the first international climate change conference since the Kyoto Protocol came into effect this February, and it’s expected to be one the largest gatherings of its kind. Under Kyoto all industrialised countries, with the exception of the United States and Australia, have until 2012 to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

But what comes after Kyoto? That’s what the some 9,000 delegates, scientists, and organisations will try to work out during the two week conference which wraps up on December 9, 2005.

In order for a post-Kyoto deal to be effective in combatting global warming, the world’s number one polluter, the United States, must be involved. So do China, India and Brazil with their fast growing economies. But a heated debate is already underway on what, if any binding targets should be set, how and for which countries.

During the Montreal conference, this dossier will provide exclusive interviews with leading officials from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UNFCCC is an international treaty ratified by 189 countries to set general goals and rules for confronting climate change.

This site will provide up-to-date coverage during the conference as well as background material on global warming.