According to Climate Coalition, threatening to veto the agreement, Polish government showed short-sightedness and disrespect towards the problem of climate change. As a result of such attitude Poland starts to be called - all over the world - a ‘brake’ to the necessary agreements in the key point of the international negotiations.
Member states’ leaders supported proposal of financing development of clean energy technologies, adaptation to climate change and protection of forests in developing countries presented by the European Commission. However, it is still unknown how much of it will be public funds if they will be additional to current development aid and what share in these costs EU will consider just. Moreover, fast track of financing is to be based on voluntary payments by member states. Difficult decisions were postponed.
Meanwhile, EU declaration on specific amount allocated to financing for developing countries is a prerequisite to reach global agreement on climate change in Copenhagen. Abilities of these countries to make their own commitments depend on the EU support for their struggle against climate change.
Poland’s threats of using veto added a question mark to the likelihood of signing the agreement which is the only way of effectively reducing catastrophic results of climate change. Already now approximately 300 thousand people die as a result of these changes. Poland’s position is a proof of short-sightedness and recklessness of Polish politicians who are guided by narrow and short-term interests.
„Due to such demands we are building an image of a narrow-minded state that does not understand priorities of international politics. Furthermore, it is obvious that the EU enlargement by post-communist countries weakened its position in the environmental issues” – says Zbigniew Karaczun, Chairman of the Polish Ecological Club Mazovian Branch, a member of Climate Coalition. „I think that it will be more difficult for us now to convince EU member states to agree on selling the surplus of greenhouse gas emission reduction after 2012 that Poland gained at the beginning of 1990s as a result of economic transformation. In my opinion, we could therefore lose up to €10bn” – adds Zbigniew Karaczun.
Polish government’s position was also condemned by the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, archbishop of the Republic of South Africa, Desmond Tutu, who pointed out to Prime Minister Tusk that Poland belongs to the 50 wealthiest countries in the world also thanks to solidarity the other countries showed it in the past. Solidarity that Poland currently denies countries that are poorest and suffer most due to climate change.
Open letter to the Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Poland’s position for the European Council Summit is available on Climate Coalition’s website:
http://koalicjaklimatyczna.org/lang/ang/page/publications/id/47/

Additional information:
Dr Zbigniew Karaczun, Polish Ecological Club Mazovian Branch, email: zbigniew_karaczun@sggw.pl
Comments on the summit by representatives of Climate Coalition also available in Gazeta Wyborcza daily (in Polish, "Solidarność klimatyczna - gdzie ona?", 2009/11/02, page 16).