Talking without walking

Yesterday was the last day for world leaders to present to the UN Climate Change Conference. They then pass on to the negotiators, which is when the rubber really hits the road.  

So, did the world leaders handle themselves with dignity, grace and aplomb, and come together with a consensual focus on solutions? Errrr. nah ... they kind of all fell out and the climate message rather got lost in politicking. 

The plethora of rhetoric and dearth of action were something which the prime minister of Albania pointed out. Edi Rama tore up his speech and went off script.

“Life goes on, with its old habits, and our speeches – full of good words about fighting climate change – and they change nothing.”

Bangladeshi leader Muhammad Yunus said there is a culture of “limitless consumption” and that we need a “new lifestyle consistent with the safety of the planet”. 

“We will raise our voice and tell them it’s your fault, like what we did with colonialism.”

Superstar PM of Barbados, Mia Mottley, issued an open invitation to the president-elect of the USA to sit down face-to-face and seek common ground, assuming that both “want humanity to survive”. For instance, she highlighted that the flaring of methane is climate warming and doesn’t make business sense. “Why would you want to flare gas and lose money, when you can use gas and make money?”

Argentina was asked to leave. Azerbaijan and France fell out. 

Let’s see if anything actually happens. There is a rumour that there is a draft text floating around ...