COP 14 opens in Poznan

No, it’s not the latest DeNiro – Pacino movie it is in fact something far more important, the United Nations Climate Change Conference which will run from 1st-12th December in Poznan. The official opening was held on the 1st December and was attended by representatives of 185 countries from around the globe, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the Polish Environment Minister, Maciej Nowicki. Nowicki, who will also be President of the Global Debate on Climate Change.

The Poznan Climate Change Conference will be a platform for discussing the advances made during the whole of 2008 and it is expected to agree upon a programme which will allow the move from discussion to negotiation mode at the Copenhagen Conference in 2009. Delegations attending the Poznan meet are expecting to:

Agree on a plan of action and programmes of work for the final year of negotiations after a year of comprehensive and extensive discussions on crucial issues relating to future commitments, actions and cooperation

Make significant progress on a number of on-going issues required to enhance further the implementation of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, including capacity-building for developing countries, reducing emissions from deforestation (REDD), technology transfer and adaptation.

Advance understanding and commonality of views on "shared vision" for a new climate change regime

Strengthen commitment to the process and the agreed timeline

An exhibition entitled ‘Technologies for Climate Protection’ will run from the opening of the conference on 1st December until the 14th December and will feature interactive and innovative exhibits as well as document environmentally friendly solutions to various geographically related problems, for example:

The hanging gardens from Bangladesh, the fog catchers used on the Cape Verde Islands which allow water to be gathered from the atmosphere and a Gambian solar powered internet caf. The exhibition is at The Poznan International Fair, ul. Glogowska 14, Hall no.5 and is open to the general public every day between 10am -7pm.

Might be worth spending a minute to think about the ‘Carbon Footprint’ left by flying 185 representatives into Poznan from all over the world and having them each met by two cars at the airport in order to hold a conference which will ‘allow the move from discussion to negotiation mode’! - What exactly does that really mean?