So it’s over and what an anti-climax! I am left feeling depressed and angry at the total lack of progress. Even in my brightest moments there seems to be little to celebrate. There are lessons to be learned though and I will share these with you.
New World Power. Did you notice that the final deal was cut behind closed doors and that the EU was not a party to this, just USA, China and India. Given that the EU has driven the agenda so hard, seems unfortunate to say the least!
Diplomacy has its limits!. 192 countries in a room trying to get an agreement - looking back this was an impossible task and really it is not surprising that no ‘meaningful agreement’ was reached.
Too many hangers on.There was too much noise, too many people and not enough focus. The COPs do not work- 20,000 people all screaming, it is not surprising that nothing gets achieved as it is just one enormous climate jamboree. Time to change the format.
No Business. Business leaders were excluded from the process. This is plainly ridiculous given that they will be the one’s funding the whole change.
Another Climate Catastrophe! Unfortunately it seems that the only way that these political blockheads are going to ‘get it’ is when another climate catastrophe happens. Plain Stupid! They need to watch The Day After Tomorrow again.
And so, I am left feeling totally unimpressed by everyone and everything about the COP. Time for Business and People to stop thinking the politicians are going to do anything and time for us to take responsibility - if ever there was a need for a ‘movement for change’ then it is now!
Our very own Chrstina Wood is hosting an event tonight at Copenhagen. Check it out here!!
Guardian Yesterday , Jackie Asley (Let’s tune in again 16.11.09) was spot on. Like her, I am fed up with the continuous political fighting over details and performance. What we need as we move towards next year’s election is the development of the BIG VISION, supported by BIG IDEAS , allowing us that all important BIG DEBATE.
As an environmental designer and I know that without a concept properly thought through from the start, it is almost impossible to deliver a holistic solution; as the design progresses, details will keep on cropping up and without that big picture and philosophy, they become impossible to solve and you are left with a disconnected mish-mash!
What we need is a framework that is all inclusive and will allow decisions on all issues to be made within a context.
This is lacking at the moment, but it does seem that out of the ashes of the banking crisis, the stuttering diplomacy of Copenhagen, and the present political debate that one is beginning to emerge that is both global and local.
The strands that are emerging;-
The Climate Deal –The poorer nations are demanding financial support from those that have polluted. There is also a growing recognition that reductions solutions can only be delivered by engaging society at a local level and by changing culture.
Big Society – David Cameron’s ideas around Big Society rather than big government, one that empowers ‘people’.
Tobin Tax – Gordon Brown (and others) talks about a tax on all transactions that should be shared equally between the state and within a climate deal.
Energy Strategy – Ed Miliband talking about fast tracking planning on new energy infrastructure.
Somewhere amongst this lot it seems that there is the potential to galvanise local action and divest responsibility whilst finding a more equitable means of distributing wealth for the good of the planet and its people as a whole.
I do not want to play on old clichés and nor do I want to propagate any notion of communism, but somehow all of these things need to come together if we are to find a solution that meets local needs whilst delivering on the BIG PICTURE.
Anyway, thanks to Jackie for kicking off the debate-but how do we keep it going?
Guy
17.11.09
The news out of the USA yesterday is not good. The US administration has said that there is now not enough time to get a binding agreement through congress - Guardian 05.11.09. This is bad news for us all and a refelction of the uphill battle that still has to be fought to get this through.
”We have to be honest in the process and deal with the realities that we don’t have time in these four weeks to put the language together and flesh out every crossed t and dotted i of a treaty,” said John Kerry, who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee.
In a show of unity that suprised everyone, the African nations staged a mini-coup and demanded immediate action by the Rich Nations to set real targets complaining that rich nations’ carbon cuts were far too small to avoid catastrophic climate change, and refused to participate until more was done. The move forced the UN to abandon several sessions and reschedule others to give rich countries more time to debate emissions cuts. Countries have agreed to devote 60% of the remaining time to those discussions. Link
So it is all happening and the political heat is rising about time too! Let’s hope that we actually get some thing that we can all work towards!
Guy
06.11.09
