Kicking Big Polluters Out Of Climate Talks 'Not Very Useful', Says Poland's Climate Envoy

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By Megan Darby, Climate Homeย News

Polandโ€™s climate envoy dismissed calls to keep polluters out of UN talks, ahead of a controversial negotiation in Bonn on Thursday about wideningย participation.

Activists outside the talks put pressure on the EU to support a conflict of interest policy for businesses getting involved in the process.ย They argue that fossil fuel companies are aย malign influence and weaken climate ambition to protect theirย profits.

But Tomasz Chruszczow, who has a leading role in this Decemberโ€™s Katowice climate summit, told Climate Home News in an interview he did not recognise thatย problem.

โ€œWe want everybody in this action,โ€ he said. โ€œEven if they are now generating electricity from fossil fuels โ€“ the majority of electricity comes from fossil fuels โ€“ still it is changing, but it is aย process.

โ€œThe call for exclusion of anybody from the processโ€ฆ I donโ€™t think that is very useful. Letโ€™s think how to incentivise the transition [to a low carbonย economy].โ€

NGOs argue that theย World Health Organization set a precedent on conflicts of interest when it limited the access of big tobacco to decision-making in light of the evidence smoking harmsย health.

Chruszczow argued the situations were not comparable. โ€œSmoking is what people are made to do; utilities are usually dependent on the political decisions and overall political environment โ€“ and people need energy,โ€ heย said.

Until last year, Chruszczow chaired the strand of UN climate talksย responsible for setting the terms of businessย engagement.ย 

On Thursday, a working group will consider how to address conflict of interest concerns.Within the EU, Poland has a record of resisting ambitious climate targets, or seeking exemptions. The country gets more than 80% of its electricity from coal and the ruling Law and Justice party is supportive of its ailing miningย sector.

At the same time, it hosts more than its fair share of climate conferences โ€“ this will be its third in a decade. Under the UN system of regional rotation, every fifth summit is in Eastern Europe, where Polandโ€™s neighbours have been slow toย volunteer.

In 2013, the Polish government overtly supported a coal industry conference running alongside the Warsaw climateย summit.

Asked if any such industry events were planned in Katowice, Chruszczow winced, despite his principled defence of business participation. โ€œPlease donโ€™t ask me this question. That was a nightmare,โ€ he said, and โ€œabove his payย gradeโ€.

In a written submission, the USย argued for lifting restrictions on business participation.ย The Africa Group of negotiators, on the other hand,ย warnedย that without a conflict of interest policy, business involvement โ€œthreatens the integrity and legitimacy of the [UN climate] processโ€. The EU stance could beย pivotal.

Jesse Bragg, campaigner with Corporate Accountability, said he was not surprised by Chruszczowโ€™s comments but there needed to be a conversation about fossil fuel influence. โ€œIt is something that needs to be tackled before and during the negotiations about the rulebook for the Paris Agreement on the ground,โ€ he said, referring to a framework due to be finalised inย Katowice.

โ€œThe companies will be involved in implementation of the Paris Agreement โ€“ they need to be,โ€ he added, โ€œbut that isย in response to government policy, not the other wayย around.โ€

This article was originally published on Climate Home News.ย Updatedย 03/05/2018.

Image: Meganย Darby

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