From the Warsaw city centre there's only one route to the precinct where the rotund cement beast that doubles as a national sports stadium is holding United Nations climate change talks.

That route is across a road bridge over the mud-brown Vistula River offering views to the south of the Siekierki coal plant that spews out about 3.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

Funnelling into the stadium are 1001 members of the media, 6120 registered delegates and 4719 "observers" – UN officials, campaigners and members of other non-governmental groups.

Just as the Siekierki plant is hard to miss if you take the breezy stroll over the Vistula, so has been coal.

Provocatively, cheekily and perhaps even audaciously, the World Coal Association decided to hold a two-day conference in the city with the overt support of Poland's Ministry of Economy.

Opening on Monday, one of the first through the doors and onto the coal conference stage was Christiana Figueres, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

She pulled few punches, telling the industry it should be throwing its money at renewable energy. Most of the existing coal reserves should be left in the ground, she told them.

The Siekierki coal plant in Warsaw pumps out 3.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Photograph: Jenny Bates

Greenpeace were already there with a protest banner. Another campaign group turned up with some eight metre bright pink inflatable lungs.



Back at the stadium, another protest. Two rolls of carpet – one red and one green – and some campaigners dressed in traditional Polish dress.

The red carpet to symbolise the welcome the Polish government has given to the coal industry and the green – well, it's not subtle, but it makes a point.

One observer asked why anyone would want to walk down the red carpet. "There's money in it," came the instant reply.

Later, youth climate campaigners staged another protest with a referee brandishing a red card to "kick coal out of the climate talks".

Oh yes. There are talks.

Monday marks the beginning of the high-level discussions in the plenary rooms – massive, white demountable buildings placed on the football field and accessed through a tunnel network.

The large screens in the media room list a near infinite number of press conferences and side meetings. The entries tick over like airport flight departure boards.

Australia's delegation – described by some as now taking an "anti-climate" position – is keeping its head down. Unlike previous UN climate meetings, there are no daily briefings.

There has been no sunshine either. A breezy 4C outside and a thick blanket of cloud, Figueres admitted in an afternoon press conference she was missing the sun.

But there is one chink of light – the release of a piece of draft text for negotiators to get their molars around.

Eventually, this could deliver a formula for countries to work out what's fair when it comes to cutting emissions. That leads to targets and a possible new global deal in Paris in 2015.

And the name for this key piece of text?



"It is called an annotated draft text, no, it's called a draft text," muttered Figueres as she thumbed through pages to locate the mystery name for the expectant press.

"Here we go," she said, relieved to have now located the item. "Draft text on ADP two dash three agenda item three," she said, before raising her eyes to chuckles from the gathered media.

"Clearly not yet baptized," noted a UN official.