Poland Books Coal Industry Summit Alongside UN Climate Talks

In partnership with the Polish government, Big Coal will host its own global summit alongside the upcoming UN climate talks in Warsaw in an event that green groups say illustrates the industry influence in politics that is destroying the planet.

“Hosting a coal and climate summit side-by-side is like throwing a cigarette expo next to a meeting of cancer experts,” said Jamie Henn, Strategy Director for the international climate campaign 350.org.

The 19th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will take place from November 11 to 22, will bring together representatives of nearly 200 countries in a bid to reach a new agreement to replace the Kyoto protocol that expired last year, which the United states still hasn’t ratified.

Climate activists say this meeting was already hampered by industry influence, as well as the global inequalities that allow superpowers like the United States to keep emitting carbons with impunity. The coal industry summit has infuriated green groups, who have started referring to the climate talks as ‘Coal COP’ (Council of Parties).