Meeting Mayors and Governors

While I was reluctant that COP15 will be closed with a substantial agreement even before my arrival in Copenhagen, I at least hoped to meet a few established people in the world of politics. With a keen eye and acute hearing, I managed to meet ministers, governors, members of press and a small handful of Heads of States, including Danish Prime Ministers Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Swedish Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

However, it was a great surprise to catch just before he fled to give his first speech at COP15. I also met with the Governor of California Arnold SchwarzeneggerMayor of London Boris Johnson at the main centre, asking him what his role in the negotiation is. His answer was something I expected, simply saying he was the Mayor of London and that was it, but he had high regards for his colleague Martin Powell, who I met in my very first side event at the Bella Centre.

It seems to me that the people I met all had distinct expectations from COP15, however even they themselves felt powerless in driving the negotiations forward. Whether you are an MP, Mayor or Governor, there was only so much they could do, other than rue the media for a pres conference about where the negotiations stand. It was surprising that they were almost in the same position as I was at COP15, which is not comforting.

[Top: Talyn Rahman with Boris Johnson]

A Copenhagen Accord has been instituted but members in developing countries are angered that nothing more concrete had been formulated during the conference. Nonetheless, I hope that all that participated in COP15 were able to take back valuable contacts and information to their home countries and build on Accord from a national level.