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Climate Libations: What are delegates doing at Poznan?

by staff writer

POZNAN, POLAND (RushPRnews)12/06/08 -- It's enough to drive some people to drink.As the climate talks continue unabated in Poland, with over 9000 delegates in attendance and over 5000 observers and activists on the sidelines and giving "Birds of a Feather" presentations on global warming, pro and con, a blogger in Australia has also voiced his fears that nothing much will get accomplished this month in Poznan.

John Hepburn, writing on his blog "Rooted", tells RushPRNews that while the first week of the talks are coming to an end, the 30-strong Australian delegation has remained resolutely silent during most of the sessions."According to my contacts on the ground at the meeting, the Australian delegates have hardly said a word -- apart from suggesting time-wasting agenda changes," Hepburn said.

"You have to wonder why the Australian Government paid for 30 people to go on this junket -- flying business class, being put up at the Sheraton -- if they weren't going to discuss the issues that were on the agenda?" Hepburn asks.

A little humor also works its way into his commentary: "In earlier times, we might have hoped that our Australian delegates would keep their mouths shut so they wouldn't play such an obstructive role -- but at this time, their silence is probably their most powerful weapon."

The key issue for the Poznan meeting, according to Hepburn, is the development of a shared vision for the global community to take action on climate change. This vision, he hopes, will define the goals for the levels of warming that the official global leaders of the world are prepared to accept.

"But what seems to be happening at the meeting is that the countries that want to delay action on climate change are talking down the possibility of success," Hepburn told us. "If they can stall the process at Poznan, it will make it all the more difficult to reach an agreement at Copenhagen at the end of 2009, and then they can get away with delaying action on climate change for another few years."

This does not look good. Hepburn is also reporting that the Australian delegates are hiding in the bar and contributing very little of substance.

"Governments of the world agreed to a two-year timeline for negotiations for a new deal on climate action at Bali," he said. "Poznan is a very important step in these negotiations. The meeting needs to produce a clear plan for the lead up to the Copenhagen meeting in December next year."

When Australia's climate change minister Penny Wong and her counterparts arrive in Poznan next week, they need to step up to the plate and help the shared vision for climate action become a reality, Hepburn insists, adding: "There is no reason that the governments of the world cannot agree to an international climate action plan by December next year. They simply have to."

Robert Merkel, another blogger in Australia watching the action and inaction in Poland closely, is adamant in his beliefs that more needs to be done.

He told RushPRnews: "It is not acceptable for our negotiators to distract and delay the negotiations and then, if they fail, jump up and say some formulation of 'We tried are hardest but the negotiations broke down and other countries didn't come to the party'."

"Mind you, until the USA comes to the party, there is an argument to suggest that all the delegates may as well go to the bar. Indeed, Joe Romm on his blog ClimateProgress.com argues something very interesting - he believes that it might be easier for the new US administration to get a carbon reduction bill through the US Senate if the talks collapse," Merkel said.

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