The Copenhagen leadership challenge

December 17, 2009 by
Filed under: Politics, Public policy 

I am brewing a post – or maybe a series of posts – on ‘five mega trends in public services for the 2010s’. But often when I write about public services I get few if any responses so I need to find a way of making my great thoughts engaging.

While I am working on this, just a couple of brief comments on Copenhagen. First, do other people share my view that the worst outcome would be a weak statement written to save face but lacking the specificity or commitment to drive real change? Some say that even something like this would be worthwhile because it ‘maintains momentum’. But given how carbon emissions have kept rising since Kyoto, the danger is surely that the public think something has been done and the media focus moves on; meanwhile countries continue to fail to act. At least if the whole thing broke down there would be a public outcry and demand for new leadership.

Second, I wonder whether we might inspire our leaders to aim higher if we were more upbeat about what a real deal would mean. Every politician wants their place in history and if the 190-odd leaders all signed up to an ambitious, just and binding and global action they would all deserve that place. It would be a genuinely inspiring moment in human history. Just as there are monuments all round the world listing those who have died in war so – if a powerful treaty is agreed – there should be monuments listing those who made it happen.

Seeing hard challenges as opportunities for inspired leadership is very much an Obama schtick, so maybe the American President – who urgently needs some evidence that he can be effective on the global stage – will make all the difference. Ultimately, this is about the US President being willing to trade the risk that he is seen at home as having given up too much for the opportunity for the US to be seen as providing progressive global leadership. And this is why the concerted and successful attempt by the US populist right to rubbish the theory of man-made climate change is so dangerous. Obama needs to feel he can say to his people ‘this was a sacrifice worth making’ but he knows that he will face a loud constituency arguing that no sacrifices needed to be made at all.

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5 Comments on The Copenhagen leadership challenge

  1. Judith on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 2:02 pm

    2. I hope the talks fail-as you suggest , and this leads to a mighty worldwide outcry, and a subsequent global adoption of stringent carbon emission controls.In Utopia, perhaps, but I fear not on this Earth. I want to be proved wrong and cannot understand why anyone fails to grasp the damage human carbon emissions (and many other activities) have on the planet we all share. Perhaps they still think there’s another planet we can “exploit” when we ruin this one?
    I suspect a fudge will be the result, pleasing no-one, achieving nothing. And despite my highest hopes, I am not sure Obama can drive this either.

  2. Chris Moorhouse FRSA on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 3:01 pm

    3. Matthew I agree with you a fudge will be a worse outcome than a complete breakdown. From breakdowns breakthroughs are possible. The thing that is missing for me is not enough focus on a clear desirable outcome and trying to establish what’s missing to get there. Too much focus on what’s wrong and who is to blame is what I see.

  3. Jenny on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 3:09 pm

    4. Nothing insightful to add, but agree on all points.

    *gloom*

  4. Livy on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 4:03 pm

    5. Judith. Agreed, and that may be the right sentiment. However it is vitally important to understand why so many people fail to understand the danger carbon emissions are having, and not just to demonise them as Fox News worshipers. For one thing, the radical action that well meaning liberals like you and I want also has consequences; specifically, a lot more people in the world will be poorer for longer. The average Brazilian uses 7 times less energy than the average American, and now that they’ve discovered huge oil reserves that may put them in the top five there’s no way they won’t drill and do everything in their power to afford their citizens better standards of living. We’d do the same.

    Otherwise comedians like Chris Rock will no longer be comedians and certain jokes will become maxims; “Only the white man can profit from pain”.

    As for those of us in the UK…well. Truthfully, is there anyone among us who doesn’t snigger every time people like Bono or Sting start running their mouths? The rank and file Joe public simply don’t take too kindly to moral sermonising (which is what it is) by what are overwhelmingly white, educated, middle class, southern, metropolitan, organic food eating types who have the disposable time (not just income) to formulate what are perceived as self satisfied delusions.

    Maybe that’s what people like Charles Clarke meant. Sorry, I am on your side here. But until the left can reconcile to this and stop being so intolerant of those they consider to be less intelligent, then the issue will remain in deadlock.

    Livy

  5. Julian Dobson on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 5:27 pm

    6. I’m a bit late coming to this conversation, but I really think we need to get shot of the ‘leaders are politicians and presidents’ mindset. Leadership is something we exercise, not something we demand of others. That is what persuades politicians to act.

    While the Copenhagen talks were going on I was involved in a discussion on ‘civic leadership’ and climate change with eight local authorities in Yorkshire. I’ve posted some thoughts on that here: http://livingwithrats.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-we-need-to-be-leaders-on-climate.html

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