I reported a rumour here back in June that Gordon Brown would be the first world leader to pledge his attendance at the Copenhagen climate talks in December. Now he has told Newsweek that he will – “if it is necessary” – go to the UN gathering. Here is the Guardian‘s piece on the issue.
Copenhagen is already being written off as a potential deadlock between the EU/US and developing countries. As such it could be a quagmire for even the most resolute of politicians.
Cynics may suggest that the prime minister is trying to piggyback a popular issue for his own ends. On this occasion I suspect that it is unfair. For Brown to put his own personal and political capital into the event – which appears to have a low probability of success – does seem to prove his dogged belief that this is one of the big issues of the century. As such; good luck to him.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey
