From November 29th until December 10th, world leaders and climate change activists gathered in Cancun, Mexico (yes, be jealous), for COP16, the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Continuing where they left off last year with COP15 in Copenhagen, leaders negotiated monetary costs of the prevention of global warming. In the end, the developed countries came up with $100 billion worth of financing to help emerging economies cut emissions and handle the impact of global warming. They also came to agreement of cutting

The majority of negotiators came together over an accord that includes $100 billion worth of financing from developed countries to help emerging economies cut emissions and handle the impact of global warming. It also set a goal of limiting global warming by less than 2 degrees Celsius. To some leaders, this wasn't enough.

Americas Quarterly reports:

"Bolivian Ambassador to the United Nations, Pablo Solón, referred to the agreement as 'hollow,' and claimed it did not go far enough in accountability for industrialized economies. Ambassador Solón saw many of his original demands unfulfilled at the talks, known as COP16. His requests included the creation of an International Court of Climatic Justice and a reduction of the target rise in global temperature for the twenty-first century to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit—half of the agreed amount at last year’s talks. Angered on Saturday, Solón issued a warning: “[the Cancún agreement] will bear human and natural casualties.'"

And thus, negotiations will continue next year at COP17 in South Africa.

Before the summit ended, 24 Sierra Club volunteers, with help from 350.org's Bill McKibben and a man in a polar bear costume from the Center for Biological diversity, held their own demonstration on a Cancun beach "showing the delegates from participating countries burying their heads in the sand."