The Long Night in Hall B

At the climate talks in Bonn, delegates stayed in Hall B until three in the morning.

The chair, a tired woman from Ghana, asked every country to accept the new text on shipping emissions.

For small island nations, this was a matter of survival, since rising seas already cover their farms.

However, large oil exporters argued that the plan would destroy their economies and cost thousands of jobs.

During the break, a young negotiator from Brazil spoke quietly with a German official, hoping to find a middle way.

She suggested a fund that would help poorer countries build clean ports.

The idea slowly won support from several nervous governments.

Just before dawn, the chair called for a final vote, and the room fell silent.

When the text passed, applause broke out, though some delegates simply closed their laptops and left.

Outside, the sun was rising over the river, and the long night was finally over.