Being forced to stay overnight and solve a new stall in the process, eventually negotiators did not fail to close the LCA works. The major block came from the United States raising key divergences to be reflected in the final text of the draft core decision, especially concerning mitigation actions for developed and developing countries and the unacceptable – in their view – second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The US lead negotiator Jonathan Pershing recognized that they are not yet ready to declare an emission reduction target and put a big “X” in the text representing the amount of reductions by the Parties, introducing 2005 as base year as an option to 1990. There were diverse interventions by Parties to amend the proposed texts. Japan and the European Union shared some of the US concerns. On the other hand, developing countries expect more than ever that finance is provided immediately and not after 2012. Even so, the set of draft decisions (1 core decision + 9 thematic decisions) as amended by Parties and now decorated with a number of new brackets – indicating non-agreement areas – was adopted and transmitted to the COP. The working group on LCA is now closed, yet mitigation and financial issues remain the big sticking points. Anyhow, the Parties will be free to continue proposing amendments during the COP segment.