Half time update

I spoke to Paul Cook (pictured left), Tearfund Advocacy and Media Director at the half way point in the talks to find out how things have been going.

Paul: ‘There has been a little bit of progress. But things need to speed up to make sure we get a global deal at the end of 2009. Some developed countries have been stalling and blocking progress by not committing to anything now and not saying when they will commit. This is unhelpful and a worrying sign for next year.’


So the final week of talks is crucial for getting talks back on track. I’ve heard that many developed countries are unwilling to make commitments now. This seems deeply worrying to me as we only have one year to agree a deal. I really hope developed countries take a lead and make a concerted effort to pick up the pace.

The EU climate and energy deal, which should be finalised this week, could be a massive stumbling block to any progress in Poznan. EU members are putting politics before the desperate need for action on climate change making the deal (which sets EU’s climate policies for the next 12 years) considerably weaker than hoped for.

I am going to Warsaw tomorrow to campaign for a stronger EU deal as German Chancellor Merkel’s meets with Polish Prime Minister Tusk – they are blocking decisions. I’ll hopefully tell you more about this when I get back.