01 December 2011

Did you really believe that Poland supports a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol just because of its promises about climate protection?  If you answered “yes,” you might feel disappointed today. If not, you won’t be surprised.  Nice words were spoken in Durban about the future of Kyoto and the firm Polish stance on the need to have a global, legally binding agreement. However, their speech rang hollow with the news that the Polish EU Presidency decided to sponsor the “European Coal Days” in Brussels.

European Coal Days, a private lobby event promoting the most polluting of all fossil fuels, started at the very same moment EU diplomats headed to Durban to find solutions for the climate crisis. The expected role for the Polish EU Presidency in Durban was to try hard to convince the rest of the world to sign up to a fast-tracked roadmap for concluding a global and legally binding climate treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Such an approach would not only be in line with the EU’s negotiating position, but would also be the only acceptable one, knowing that the urgency to tackle climate change is greater than ever.

Nevertheless, in keeping with their reputation as big supporters of coal, the Polish Presidency did not surprise us by being a professional and objective EU negotiator. By agreeing to use its logo on the poster promoting coal the Presidency made very clear where its heart lies and what it really thinks about the ultimate EU objective to limit global warming below 2°C. The sad truth is that Poland seems not to care, either about the future of our planet, or about EU’s negotiating efforts or even about its own image and the basic diplomatic rules that should be respected by the EU Presidency.

The Presidency has put at risk the EU’s credibility in the global climate talks in Durban. Poland still seems to think that coal can play a role in the EU’s energy mix of tomorrow. By sharing this flawed belief, Poland keeps delaying the necessary modernisation of its obsolete coal-dependent electricity system, which is already on the edge of collapse.

Demanding climate action from others while cosying up to big coal at the same time does not seem to be a good negotiating strategy. In fact, this diplomatic faux –pas was awarded by the 1^st prize Fossil of the Day award in Durban, clearly showing that Poland still needs to grow up and green up.  (Photo credit: Sarah Rifaat)