...at the AMED Sustainable Development Network Cafe Conversation on 26th January. Details here.

What do we make of Copenhagen?

Here are some contrasting views, first a commentary on what went wrong, from the BBC's Richard Black with - as Bruce Nixon says -

"some interesting news of tectonic shifts in the international relations between countries which need time to digest."

Richard's analysis?

Key Governments do not want a global deal.
The US political system.
Bad timing.
The host Government.
The weather.
24-hour news culture.
EU politics.
Campaigners got their strategies wrong.

Next, something to cheers us up. Forwarded to me by Dave Sharman, this quote comes from the blog of Roger Harmer.

"For three days, the mayors and leaders of a hundred major cities discussed the challenges of climate change, their ideas, plans, projects and responses and their shared focus on action and delivery.

At no point did anyone question the need for urgent action or question their own individual - and shared - responsibility and there was a quite remarkable lack of competing, showboating or criticism.

There was no carping about the levels of adopted targets or about who was at what stage - even though Copenhagen plans to be carbon zero by 2025 and Los Angeles daren't mention what their carbon emissions are likely to be 25 years later!...

This looked and felt like a team!"

Who's coming?

As well as the people who have RSVPd on the AMED site, we are expecting people who:

cycled part of the way there raising funds for adaptation projects and delivered pledges from a 350 event in his home town;
helped set up a sustainable tourism and education project in Nicaragua;
wrote a book on sustainable business and is currently writing another;
set up a consulting practice around sustainable development, and whose teenaged daughter went to Copenhagen;

Perhaps you'll be there too?

What'll we talk about?

The purpose is to share reflections and perspectives on what the outcomes of Copenhagen were, and what they mean for us and our practice as consultants, facilitators, organisational developers and the various other hats we wear.

I'll blog about what happened.

If you'd like to be part of this conversation, see here for details.

Dear All

AMED SDN – meet up in January 2010

We had a very enjoyable informal meet-up in December, networking and discussing the Climate Summit in Copenhagen.

We agreed that we’d do it again when the dust from that meeting had settled, so we’ll be meeting again at the Rising Sun pub in Smithfield, London, from 1.00 – 3.00 on January 26^th.

See here for more details: http://www.amed.org.uk/events/cafe-conversation-what-does

Our focus will be exploring together what the outcomes of Copenhagen are, and what they mean for ourselves and our practice as organisational consultants, people-developers, coaches, facilitators and so on.

Find out more about AMED and the Sustainable Development Network here: http://www.amed.org.uk/group/sustainabledevelopmentnetwork

If you would like to continue to receive updates about meetings, news and discussions from the AMED Sustainable Development Network, please join the group on the website, as this circulation list will be phased out during 2010.

Warm regards

Penny