European Economic and Social Committee

The Durban-negotiations may end up with concrete measures to fight climate change, or maybe Roadmaps for individual countries, or with improvements of the Climate Fund - or with just diplomatic talk and no concrete results. The final results will only be known when we are on the plane, going back.

However, the atmosphere is carefully optimistic and not bad. Everybody feels that there is change in the air. In the case of no global and legally binding agreement is reached here, then it will come later. And if not under the UN-umbrella, then bilaterally or with groups of countries. Nobody says "no" unconditionally any more.

And this is closely linked to the activities or organized civil society, which is felt everywhere. And local and regional solutions are sought. Government targets are awaited, but work at all levels is already under way. Our side-event on Wednesday confirmed this. To me, it was a clear demonstration of the close links between energy prices and food prices, hunger, and ultimately regional and renewable, climate-friendly energy.

As the Sustainable Development Observatory, we will continue to work on these themes in the future.