barcelona

Today I arrived at work to see John Vidal’s excellent expose on the complex punctuation, backroom power games, bureaucracy and language of the UN’s climate change negotiations in the Guardian Weekend left open on my desk.  Back in London, the craziness of Barcelona faded away all too quickly as I tried to get in a bit of Christmas shopping, attack my overflowing inbox and actually do a bit of laundry but John’s words brought that strange world of negotiations rushing back: the endl

The big frustrating aspect around the negotiations today is high-level politicians disussing a ‘politically-binding’ agreement at Copenhagen as opposed to a ‘legally-binding’ agreement. Kevin Grandia wittily summarises the utility of this concept along with the disappointment of all parties working on climate change when he wrote:

With all the long hours I’ve been putting into to covering these climate talks, I’m sure my wife is wishing our marriage was a politically binding agreement, as opposed to a legal one.

With just a month to go until vital change negotiations in Copenhagen, Progressio staff and partner representatives are observing the “intersessional” meeting of the UNFCCC in Barcelona – the last opportunity for UNFCCC delegates to meet before December.                     

“Are you a climate leader?” asked the green alien as I approached the Gran Via conference centre on our last day of climate change negotiations.   “We are from planet B.  Our planet was destroyed when we failed to take action on climate change.  Is Copenhagen in this galaxy?”

“Yes”, I reply as I show them my badge.

“Ah, you are not a climate leader!” they say, as they NON-GOVERNMENTAL in huge letters next to my face.  No, I think, I’m not.  And I’m not sure what I’d do if I were.

This morning I reluctantly left the Barcelona sunshine and entered the convention centre where the UNFCCC is meeting for the last round of negotiations before Copenhagen.  Like many delegates, I hesitate before entering, wanting a few more moments in the sun before entering the chaos inside.  Although everyone is here because we think climate change is important, as usual, things aren’t going to plan – which I imagine has left many of us wishing we could simply wa