Copenhagen climate summit: timetable

Environmental activists are next to a siren of ice near the main entrance of the Bella Center in Copenhagen Photo: AFP

December 07-18: The United Nations Climate Change. All sessions will be held at the Bella Center in downtown Copenhagen.

Monday, 07 December: 10 am: A welcoming ceremony will take place when the President of the negotiations, which are expected to Connie Hedegaard, Denmark's climate and energy minister, is elected.

:: In the evening there will be a welcome reception by the city of Copenhagen at City Hall.

Monday 07 - Friday 11 December: in the first week of the conference negotiators in closed sessions will be closed to the completion of complex text on everything from carbon budgets with money for adaptation. Sessions will be less formal and more hot after the first three days. The goal is to have an agreement that world leaders can sign by the time they arrive midway through the second week.

Tuesday 08 - Wednesday 09 December: Alternative Conference held by the climate change skeptics "The Copenhagen Climate Challenge" to be held in the Danish Writers Union. Lord Monckton, Professor Ian Plimer and Fred Singer everyone talking.

Wednesday, 09 December: President Barack Obama is due to address the conference before flying to Oslo tomorrow to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Flood »Saturday 12 December:" The protest march from the Danish Parliament at the Bella Center to mark the Global Day of Action on Climate Change. Celebrities scheduled to attend include Helen Baxendale. The same day there will be demonstrations and events worldwide, with tens of thousands expected to join in.

Sunday 13 December: 11.30 - Archbishop Desmond Tutu will deliver a petition for action on climate change at the Town Hall Square before giving a press conference at the end of the day.

:: 2pm: Archbishop of Canterbury will preach at an ecumenical service in the participation of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in Copenhagen Cathedral.

Monday, December 14th: Ed Miliband, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, and other environment ministers also began to reach a new impetus to the second week of negotiations.

Tuesday, December 15th: Prince Charles will open the "high-level segment of the summit." Although only be in the Danish capital for four hours is expected to give a speech and meet with global business leaders and pressure for action on deforestation.

Wednesday, December 16th: Ministers begin to arrive. Formal invitations have been sent to 191 countries, and so far over 100 have confirmed they will attend, including Gordon Brown, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel

:: Climate change protesters are threatening to take over the top and become a "People's Summit for Climate Justice".

Thursday, December 17th: The ministers and heads of delegations to make "national declarations throughout the day.

:: Formal lunch for world leaders hosted by Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the negotiations.

:: Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark held a gala dinner at night.

Friday, December 18th: Statement by the Prime Minister of Denmark and Yvo de Boer, hopefully establishing the agreement.

:: In the morning there will be a "family photo" of heads of state and heads of delegation.

:: The Heads of State and other leaders of delegations then are expected to sign the "final agreement". Before a wider adoption of "decisions and conclusions."

:: The conference is scheduled to end at 6 pm, but do not hold your breath. Even if an agreement is not reached, everyone will say their part and that could last well into the night. If diagreements, the conference could continue into the weekend and this has happened before.

Beyond Copenhagen: World leaders have already admitted that Copenhagen will be little more than a "political settlement". Details will come to meetings for next year. If all goes according to plan "a legally binding agreement" could be agreed in time for the next session of negotiations on the UN climate change in Bonn in June. However, the final agreement may not be signed until a meeting in Mexico in November 2010 or even in South Africa in 2011.