A year ago, we were focused on Bali as 184 nations gathered to discuss the Kyoto Protocol. From December 1st to 12th this year, we are now looking to the gathering of over 10,000 delegates and staff from 190 countries in Poznan, Poland at the 14th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change
Convention (COP 14). This event, held in conjunction with the 4th Conference
of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto
Protocol (CMP 4), continues the international conversation about climate change. This conversation began over a decade ago with the signing of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty focused on considering what can be done to reduce global warming and the inevitable consequences of increasing temperatures.

The financial crisis will definitely impact the discussion at Poznan regarding whether ‘green’ projects will help or hinder the short-term economic
health of countries. Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC,
spoke of the financial crisis as the main threat to the climate
protection agenda, in that investors will miss the "opportunity for
green growth" and focus on building  cheaper and dirtier power sources
instead.