GUE/NGL MEP Sabine Wils has described the first week of negotiations at the COP19 climate conference in Warsaw as a “huge setback for climate justice”.

MEP Wils, who is representing the GUE/NGL Group at COP19, said: “Big corporations have infiltrated COP19 and are pushing for false solutions to climate change such as carbon markets, coal and CCS, shale gas, agrofuels, and nuclear. This comes at the expense of climate justice. Loss and Damage should be at the top of the agenda and real climate action is more vital than ever.”

She cited some examples of corporate capture in Warsaw: “The Polish Ministry of Finance organised an international coal and climate summit in parallel to COP19, corporate sponsors of COP19 include some of the biggest climate-crooks and at the pre-COP event there was an unprecedented ‘business day’.”

Sabine Wils concluded: “The Polish government is renowned for its pro-coal and anti-climate stance. The negotiations so far have shown that this COP-presidency is shaping the agenda in favour of big corporations.”

Contact in Warsaw:
Fabian Huebner +32 489 587 573
[email protected]