Several new phrases made it into the UN vernacular this week as countries clashed at UN climate talks in Bonn
View of the ADP Contact Group stocktaking session (Pic: IISD Reporting Services)
By Alex Pashley
When emotions run high, climate negotiators come out with some, er, interesting soundbites.
Developing countries cried treachery on Monday after presiding diplomats hacked down a flabby negotiating text to 20 pages, and many of their proposals with it.
The aim was to get closer to the final version of a new global warming treaty that needs 195 countries’ blessing in Paris come December.
As time ticked away in the run-up to the crunch summit, tempers flared and proceedings became fraught.
It produced a few wacky episodes. Here is our pick.
Co-chairs call on countries to make ‘surgical insertions’ or additions to the text.
“Surgical insertions” means must-have items for states in new climate text @ #ADP2, after proposed will meet on what to do with them #COP21
— Megan Rowling (@meganrowling) October 19, 2015
It draws a comparison to drone warfare
‘Surgical insertions’ new phrase at #ADP2#climate talks. Sounds like a #US drone attack. Q. Who will be collateral damage? The poor again? — asad rehman (@chilledasad100) October 19, 2015
The medical analogy is stretched…
EU: “The patient must be holding on to life after these surgeries.” #ADP2 — Hanna Aho (@AhoHannaMH) October 19, 2015
…to within an inch of its life
Developing countries say current #climatefinance #ADP2.11 negotiating text need major organ transplant not just ‘surgical insertion’ #UNFCCC — Raju Pandit Chhetri (@rajupchhetri) October 20, 2015
South Africa’s lead negotiator and spokesperson for G77+China likens talks to apartheid
Comparing state of #ADP2 talks to apartheid seems incendiary. A sign of real anger or just clever politiking? — Edward King (@edking_CH) October 19, 2015
Social media reference gets heavily tweeted
#Climatechange is not a twitter line, not an instagram-selfie moment. We live with climate change everyday, says South Africa for G77 #ADP2 — Indrajit Bose (@boseindrajit) October 22, 2015
Talk of pregnancy (the unborn child is the Paris agreement) returns
“We have a baby with missing parts” the medical analogies at #ADP2 getting more and more gruesome… — Yassen Tcholakov (@yassentch) October 21, 2015
I usually enjoy analogies during the UNFCCC-meetings. But this baby-analogy is getting awkward. #briefing#ADP2 — Tone G. Bjørndal (@tonebjorndal) October 21, 2015
The UN distracts us with apples
Why I photographed this particular apple at the #ADP2 negotiations in Bonn today: http://t.co/Q5Kaubx3zp#COP21pic.twitter.com/QVFflrD5Ho — Christiana Figueres (@CFigueres) October 19, 2015
Each of the 196 parties get one
An apple a day keeps climate change away… #ADP2#COP21pic.twitter.com/rtQqdS9nzA — CARE Climate Change (@CAREClimate) October 19, 2015
Seeds of hope, or apple of discord? We can only watch and wait