Wrapping it Up

So, it's all over. Late on Friday night the negotiations came to an end. So was progress made? Did they wrap it up?
I don't think so.

On Thursday morning the youth members of Friends of the Earth, held a really great "Wrap it Up" action. Over the last year people from all over Europe have been putting their messages about climate change on pieces of fabric. At Friends of the Earth here in Ireland we got people to do this at electric picnic and also in some youth education workshops. All the squares were then sewn into a big banner, with the words WRAP IT UP and ACT NOW. They youth invited Ministers to come and accept a square of fabric and to hear what they have to say.

Listening to what the young people had to say was very powerful. They asked their politicians to save their future. Not to allow us to look back in disbelief at what happened in Poznan and wonder why we didn't do something about climate change when we knew that we could. I admire so much these young people who are an inspiring mixture of articulate and brave.

On Thursday evening Minister Gormley had a dinner for Irish delegates, including the NGOs. Over good wine and good food many of the civil servants there assured me that they enjoyed this blog. But they pointed out to me that I had somehow forgotten to include anything about how physically attractive the Minister's entourage are. How remiss of me!
There were also some more serious discussions taking place and it is always a pleasure to hear Richard Douthwaite of Feasta give his opinions on anything. I met other interesting people including the Irish ambassador to Poland, who wrung his hands in worry when the minister and his wife insisted on walking back to their hotel unescorted.

As the Irish minister for the Environment wondered back to his hotel room some ministers and delegations were still at the convention centre negotiating text. Despite talks going until late on Thursday and Friday pitifully little progress was made. In fact the exact same text on reduction targets as from the 2007 Bali talks has been inserted.

The world's wealthiest countries, including the EU, failed to commit to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. If industrialised countries don't make clear commitements to reduce their emission then developing countries won't come on board. These commitments were lacking, so the trust of developing countries was lacking and therefore nothing much happened at the UN climate talks this year.
We have therefore taken the wrong road. The planet was at a crossroads two weeks ago. The world has taken a terrifying path of insufficient action on climate change. We have one year to get back on the right track. After Copenhagen there will be no more chance for U-turns.

I overheard two people from the youth delegation talking behind me at the end of the final plenary. One was clearly upset. Her friend was comforting her and said. "Don't worry; we are going to win this thing. It's just going to be even harder than we thought".

Right then. 12 months. Lets give it all we've got.