Ravishing Ratty. Be thankful for small mercies. Just think what havoc these people could cause if they were ever given important jobs. The Peter Principle is working overtime.

Supertroll, unfortunately these bullmilkers have risen several levels above their own level of incompetence. However, as they work for, and with, other bullmilkers, none of them has ever noticed anything wrong.

Gwen. Bullmilkers have a valuable skill set - one producing a worldwide export commodity. I doubt that COP attendees would qualify. Even if they were successful, I suspect they would try a sip of the product.

"She is very enthusiastic about climate issues, waste management, fisheries, law and environmental economics"

I bet she gets invited to all the best parties and wonders why everyone is talking to the psychiatrists and accountants instead.

Martin A, thanks for the list from COP21. I've saved the link. It's even worse - over 30,000 of the beggars!

Global Ecovillage Network sent 9 representatives to COP22 (presumably to see what a non-eco-town looks like?). Perhaps it's just me, but I can't discover who funds them, though as usual they enjoy charitable status, so in effect at least some of their funding comes from the taxpayer. I thought I'd have a look at their "international board".

I got no further than this (the first name on the list), before losing the will to live:

"Alfonso Flaquer Carreras

Alfonso "Alf" was born in Barcelona (1960) where he studied graphic design, photography, film, comix and finally videography and audiovisual’s communication and exercised as video artist for several years. His interest in onirics also led him to study the Symbolic, so at a very young age he delved into the various traditions that populate our planet, deeply studying and initiating him into some of them. During the nineties, he traveled the world, coming to live some time in Egypt and visit all the countries which separate Spain from China. In 2000 Alf lived in South America (mainy in Ecuador) to record documentaries for NGOs and then in 2001 he started a sustainable settlement project called the Base, in northern Catalonia where he built the first straw bale house inhabited in the peninsula (www.labase2001.blogspot.com). Through the eco building he entered the world of ecovillages and communities where he designed and released the Karavan Project, an itinerant and singular ecovillage which reported their sustainable development model giving more than 100 activities in this regard throughout Spain. (www.comunidadkaravan.blogspot.com) In 2008, some projects and The Base among them, founded the Iberian Ecovillage Network (www.ecoaldeas.org); During 2009/2010 Alf studied Conflict’s Mediation, Progress Work and Group Facilitation with Gill Emslie and Anne Rhodes from Findhorn Foundation, but gradually has been deploying his interest in cultural and spiritual dimension of community projects. In 2010 he helped to design community tools for youth and worked in Team Building for a British environmental organization specialized in Deep Ecology (www.easy-day.org). For three years Alf has served on the GEN Europe Council, bringing to reality several projects such as the Ecovillage Incubator Program (2012), the Emergencies Protocol, etc .... Since the summer of 2014 he is a member of the GEN International Board and lives in the community of Arterra, in Navarra, Spain. (www.arterrabizimodu.org). Experience in creating video, photography, design of tools for sustainability education, the dissemination of alternative culture, in self construction and technologies, working with groups, events and trips to the end of the world . Skills in design and project management to a change in environmental awareness, social and spiritual. Design and development of teaching resources for sustainability, writing and editing of texts, sustainable events, facilitation of groups and jam sessions. Founder of the Karavan Project: www.comunidadkaravan.blogspot.com Founder of the Avalon Project: www.ecoaldeaavalon.blogspot.com Designer of the Avalon-school program and aim: www.avalon-school.com Designer of the "Ecovillage's Incubator" : http://sociocracia.org/formacion.html Founder of The Base Comunity. www.labase2001.blogspot.com"

Nice to see that Alf has apparently travelled all over the world "all the countries which separate Spain from China") before he and his ilk want to stop others doing the same. It's all so very "green" isn't it?

"Daniel Greenberg

Daniel is an educator, social entrepreneur, and communitarian whose mission in life is to support the development of sustainable communities and local solutions to global warming. After living at the Findhorn Foundation in northern Scotland and completing his Ph.D. in community-based education the early 90s, Daniel founded Living Routes, which partnered with the University of Massachusetts Amherst to run study abroad programs based in ecovillages around the world. He also helped found Gaia Education and currently sits on the Boards of both Gaia Education and the Global Ecovillage Network. In 2012, Daniel left his director position at Living Routes to start Earth Deeds, a social venture which helps groups account for their carbon footprints and support sustainability projects of their choice. Daniel lives near the Sirius Community in western Massachusetts with his wife, Monique Gauthier, and their two daughters, Pema and Simone."

I'm sure he's a nice guy who means well, but come on! And where does the money come from?

I've saved the link. It's even worse - over 30,000 of the beggars!

Dec 16, 2016 at 8:48 AM | Mark Hodgson

I am not sure that "beggars" is the right term. They steal money from the not-so-rich in Europe, and keep it for themselves.

Just think a mo'
We can all call outselves "comunitarians".
Am dusting off my CV.
Thanx Mark

Supertroll, we can all call ourselves Communitarians, but you have to be very special to put it on your CV and actually be paid to be a Communitarian.

Another one, chosen at random (I scroll down the list of attendees and alight where the scroll stops - it's a bit like pinning the tail on the donkey):

International Network for Sustainable Energy. They sent 7 people to COP22. Their website is a little opaque, but under the UK 2007-2013 section I noticed the following:

NORTH EAST ENGLAND

Engineering Renewables to Power Growth

National Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC) aims to develop renewable energy systems, such as a 100 m offshore wind turbine, and to create a low carbon economy in the region by the construction of a space for research and development for renewable energy and supporting the development of and assisting small and medium enterprises with this focus and encouraging micro-renewable uptake.

Time period: 2007-2013
Total Project Cost: 25,608,600 EUR
EU Contribution: 11,651,300 EUR

More information on the European Commission regional policy website , and in the NAREC project website.

SCOTLAND

Centre for Green Approach to Energy

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC) was created in 2009. It is a non profit and independent organization in Scotland that tries to facilitate innovative, collaborative, low-carbon, infrastructure projects in the areas of marine, CCS (carbon capture storage), renewable heat, grids, offshore wind and energy efficiency. Thus it engages with institutions, networks, technology platforms, identify opportunities of collaboration with industry sectors and influence policy agendas.

Time period: 2007-2013
Total Project Cost: 2,895,900 EUR
EU Contribution: 1,303,100 EUR

So I assume that as UK taxpayers paying the balance, and as UK taxpayers contributing to EU budgets, we're paying for most of this stuff. In terms of the descriptions of the projects, I know that when I worked in industry as an in-house lawyer, anyone going to the board asking for money to AIM to do something ("National Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC) aims to develop renewable energy systems") or to TRY to do something ("The Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC) ...tries to facilitate innovative, collaborative, low-carbon, infrastructure projects...") would be sent away with a flea in their ear and with no money. It apparently doesn't work like that in green la-la land where it's taxpayers' money that's being spent, however.

At least they're honest I suppose - they don't promise to do anything, just say they'll aim or try to do it. Nice work if you can get it.

Mark Hodgson, their "aim" is to be paid, trying to do something. As they continue to fail, they just want more money to carry on trying. The civil service types awarding them money, are employed to give away the money. No one is actually rewarded or thanked for pointing out that the original idea was a dead duck, and was never going to fly.

Big computer software projects for the Civil Service, NHS etc are notorious for squandering money, long after those that knew what was going wrong, failed to pull the financial plug. Too many careers and reputations at stake.

There are more wonderful ideas, than there are people capable of making them work.

The National Ecological Centre of Ukraine sent 4 delegates to COP22. Their website doesn't have much in the way of English translation on it (fair enough) but they do rpvide a link to an English language leaflet which contains the following:

"Who finances NECU?
NECU maintains political and economic independence, so it does not accept money from political parties, banks or business. Currently, NECU receives financial support from the Development Programmes of European Governments
and private funds. However, we also hope to receive voluntary contributions from our supporters and we would really appreciate your backing. In addition, some of the organization’s work is carried out on a voluntary basis."

Their website certainly includes the EU flag so there's no doubt that through our contributions to EU funds, the UK taxpayers are contributing to this one too. If they concentrated on sorting out issues like Chernobyl, I might say fair enough, but in the middle of a bloody war with Russian-backed guerillas (freedom fighters? Terrorists?) one might have though they had more important things to worry about than attending COP22.

That old mantra that climate change is the biggest problem facing us? Not in Ukraine, it isn't!

Mark Hodgson, "Charities" and NGOs (Non Governemental Organisations) have become political weapons, used for lobbying and public relations work.

Unfortunately, many have damaged their own credibility, and may not be able to fulfil their original mission statements. The individuals involved will simply move on to other employment, blaming the problems they created on everybody but themselves.

The more relevant question is not which polticised organisation funds a Charity or NGO, but who approved the funding (using other people's money) of a particular Charity or NGO, and why.

International Association of Schools of Social Work sent 3 representatives to COP22, though it's difficult to see why, unless it was for a holiday, given that their rather waffly and borderline meaningless though vaguely laudable aims seem to be as set out in the following terms on their website:

"IASSW opposes and condemns intolerance and violence in all its pernicious and evil forms, and condemns those governments, quasi-governments and individuals who perpetrate and support intolerance and violence. We condemn people and industries that make and sell the weapons and other equipment that allow terrorists to carry out their violent intentions. Our condemnation does not change according to country, race, ethnicity, religion, or other circumstance. IASSW does support robust conversations undertaken in goodwill to address and resolve injustices around the world that have grown from years of oppression, colonialism, and religious and economic hegemony. The history of oppression, however, cannot in any way justify contemporary violence and daily acts of terror which can only perpetuate the oppressive cycle of violence, and do nothing to advance social justice or peace. The great religions of the world only advocate peaceful resolution of conflict and complaints. Social work educators also teach peaceful engagement for social justice in our classrooms, support it in our research, and are prepared to engage with anyone of goodwill who is interested in addressing and resolving historical or modern grievances with the goal of social justice and an end to oppression in all its forms."

Perhaps this statement explains why they were there - consultative status seems to be the key to attendance, however irrelevant the activities of the organisation to what went on at COP22:

"IASSW holds consultative status with the United Nations and participates as an NGO in UN activities in Geneva, Vienna and New York. "

Oh, sorry, how silly of me. This is what they said when attending COP21 in Paris:

"Social Work, Climate Change and Risk Management

The voice of social work in the discussions about climate change has been largely inaudible. This organized event takes place in parallel with the negotiations of the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It highlights the considerable roles that social workers play in:
 Promoting projects for the "survivors" of the climate change, including those affected by drought, floods, storms, heat waves, cold snaps or armed conflicts linked to a lack of resources;
 The development of a climate change theory for the profession;
 Undertaking research that aims to mitigate the effects of climate change, facilitate adaptation and lead to a reduction of the risks this phenomenon poses throughout the world.
Social workers can play important roles in promoting sustainable development, as proposed in projects run by the UNDP and other UN agency deliberations, including those affecting children, older people,disabled people, indigenous people and women. By so doing, social work is acting in according with the international definition of social work and calling for recognition of the substantial contributions made by the discipline and profession to social work research,
education and practice and to the leading political and socio-economic problems of contemporary societies. Both ‘natural’ and climatic disasters are interlinked throughout the world. Even in places that are considered ‘safe’ like France, dramatic events occur as instanced by the torrential rains on the Côte d’Azur in the Autumn of 2015, the Xynthia storm in February, 2010, bad weather in the Pyrenees in May 2013, the floods of Lamalou-les-Bains, in September, 2014.
Regularly, periods of big cold hit the homeless people hard. The scorching heat which affected Europe in the summer of 2003 produced real trauma in France because there was an exceptionally high death rate among older people, which the public noticed. Nevertheless, half of these deaths occurred within institutions supposedly there to assure their care and protection.
These events have brought home the reality that groups of people who are already vulnerable, e.g., older people disabled people, poor people and othersleading precarious lives are particularly exposed to the risks posed by climate change and unusual or extreme weather conditions.
Social workers have a specific place and roles to play in:
 Demanding that greater consideration is given to the situation of people who are exposed to climate change risks and ensuring that their voices are heard in all discussions, including those concerning prevention, anticipation and
mitigation of risks.
 Supporting both victim-survivors of climate change disasters and those other professionals coming to their aid in situations of disaster and/or crisis.
 Working with individuals and groups during the post-disaster management through a strengths-based approach to promote agenda setting and action plans, advocacy, resilience, leadership, and reconstruction.
Achieving these objectives of enhancing well-being and providing dignified responses to victim-survivors are not the sole purview of social worker. Rather, it requires global responsibilities and approaches that involve all stakeholders, a demonstration of solidarity of all, by all and for all. By building social links that bring us all together to solve problems, social workers can foster a durable, socially-based and just, sustainable development.
Social work research, education and practice have much to contribute to social transformations in conditions of climate change. These encompass, strengthen and empower local people and families to foster solidarity. Thus, social work must become a major player in climate change discussions and should be given greater prominence in COP 21 and
subsequent deliberations on the subject."

I suppose a climate change angle can always be worked in if there might be money in it!

IASSW meetings in 2014 took place as follows:

Hanoi Board Meeting-January 20-21, 2014
This board meeting was held in School of Social Work, Thang Long University, Hanoi. It was attended by 24 board members whereas three had joined via Skype (well done those three).

Melbourne Board Meeting-July 8-9 &12, 2014
This board meeting was held in Melbourne Convention Centre, Melbourne, Australia. This meeting was attended by 31 board members and two observers.

International conference on “Social work capacity building: Response of Social Work Education to Social issues in Vietnam: international Perspectives and Indigenous Response; January 18 -19, 2014 – Thang Long University,
Hanoi, Vietnam. The participants of the workshop included 32 professors (IASSW Board members from different continents) and 250 faculty and social workers from universities, colleges, social work centres in Vietnam.

Sustainability, Climate Change, Disaster Intervention
IASSW provided assistance to the victim-survivors of Hurricane Haiyan in the Philippines by the Chair of the Committee through the good offices of the Institute of Hazards, Risk and Resilience Research at Durham University.

The Committee had submitted a proposal to UNFCCC for the COP19 Meeting in Warsaw, aiming to have an exhibition stall and a side event.

I can't find out who funds them, so am inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, though I suspect funding at least in part from the UN.

Mark Hodgson, I have done paid Consultative Work for the UN. Actually I got paid expenses to do a 150 mile round trip, with a passenger, to have supper with someone I had not met before, who wanted some ideas and feedback, on a project he was sub-sub-sub-contracted to do for the UN.

None of us got a Nobel Prize, but it had something to do with medical treatment. If I helped save a life, somewhere in the world, I achieved more than most/all of climate science.

golf charlie

You're correct, of course. Next up, Plant for the Planet, who seem to be a German-based charity who sent 6 people to COP22. This is their view of themselves, from their website:

"We are Climate Justice Ambassadors.

Plant-for-the-Planet is an organization lead by children for children. Every child can get involved - and over 100,000 children worldwide are already doing just that. This number of children could fill over 2 football stadiums!

But that is not all: over 46,000 of them are Ambassadors for Climate Justice. These are children between the ages of 9-12, who pass on their knowledge to the new members at Academies. Naturally, older children can also join Plant-for-the-Planet: youth aged 15-21 can be empowered at our Academies for Future Ambassadors. As a result, you can see more and more children joining our movement and together we are reaching more and more key milestones and fighting for our future."

They are a little coy about their funding (though not shy in asking for donations). This is all they have to say about their funders, but one way or another I imagine the UK-taxpayer (and almost certainly the German taxpayer) will be among them:

"Our activities around the world are endorsed by the Global Marshall Plan Foundation, Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation and the Club of Rome. In addition, we are supported by thousands of other organizations, institutions, businesses, donors and volunteers."

Mark Hodgson, indoctrination of children is deeply disturbing. It is not good for the children, and as our newspapers keep revealing, the motivation for some adults is not as pure, as society might expect.

There is no clear dividing line between education, indoctrination and radicalisation, until it goes disastrously wrong, and society makes a judgement about the original intent.

golf charlie

The indoctrination of our young is something that worries me greatly. As does the obsession with getting their hands on as much of our money as possible on the part of many attending COP22.

Oxford Climate Policy sent 4 people to COP22. Their website has a whole section on "The Reformed Financial Mechanism" and includes this:

"The success of the current international climate change negotiations crucially depends on how much finance is going to be made available to support developing country climate change activities, and it is unlikely that adequate financing will be forthcoming in the absence of an acceptable governance framework.
The substantive aims of the project focus on four primary areas, on which to generate recommendations:

How to design decision making processes and remits for the UNFCCC COP and RFM Executive Board so as to ensure sufficient political oversight and buy-in, without the danger of over-politicized micro-management of the RFM management of its financial flows.
How to insure proper stakeholder representation, in particular, how to design the selection of stakeholder representatives, and how to design their role in the decision-making process.
How to design independent oversight (audit, monitoring, and evaluation) procedures within the framework of existing legal arrangements which will provide sufficient safeguards against malpractice both at the international and the national level.
How to oversee financial flows for compliance with financial commitments."

Articles written by their members (listed in their bibliography section of their website include:

Finance in Paris (Jan 2016)

Transforming multinational climate finance (Dec 2015)

Finance for the Paris Climate Compact (June 2015)

Institutional linkages and relations between the Adaptation Fund and other institutions under the Convention (April 2015)

Consolidation and devolution of national climate finance (March 2015)

Access to Green Climate Fund: In Desperate Need of a Strategy (Nov 2014)

The Green Climate Fund at the Cross Roads: Bog standard or ground-breaking? (May 2014)

Establishing a GCF operated Southern Solidarity Fund (May 2014)

South-South Solidarity in Climate Finance: A GCF operated SOUTHERN SOLIDARITY FUND (March 2014)

Comments regarding ‘Policies and Procedures for the Initial Allocation of Fund Resources (Feb 2014)

In Bali, build a Fund you can be proud of (Feb 2014)

How will the Green Climate Fund allocate its money? All you wanted to know but were afraid to ask (Jan 2014).

There's lots more in similar vein, but that's enough to give us a flavour - numerous mentions of finance and funds.

Speaking of finance and funds, I can't see any mention of where they get their money from. I hope it isn't but fear it is from my alma mater.

The website gives you a flavour of the people involved:

Benito Müller, Director, Oxford Climate Policy

Benito is Convener of International Climate Policy Research, Environmental Change Institute; Distinguished Visiting Scholar, School of Geography and the Environment; and Supernumerary Fellow, Wolfson College; University of Oxford.

He is also Managing Director, Oxford Climate Policy, where he directs the European Capacity Building Initiative (ecbi).

Laurel Murray, Website Management

Laurel's research interests broadly centre on environment and development. Laurel began her education studying the science of global environmental change, yet over the years, her work has evolved towards the politics of the environment and the interlinkages between environmental policy and development.

Anju Sharma, Publications, and Policy Analysis

Anju has worked for UNEP as editor of the Global Environmental Outlook Yearbook, and at Oxfam as senior policy adviser on climate change adaptation. As a consultant, she has carried out projects for a number of organizations, including the UNFCCC Secretariat, UNDP, GIZ (the German Institute for technical cooperation) and the Oxford University Centre for the Environment.

She heads the Publications and Policy Analysis Unit of the European Capacity Building Initiative.

Benito and Anju were both at COP22, needless to say.

Mark Hodgson, it seems they wasted all the money they had, on writing stuff about why they now need more money, which they are now unlikely to receive.

Aid money wasted in this manner needs to be put into a meaningful context. Charities are keen to advertise how little money they need to provide a family with enough rice for a week, or a cataract operation, or a pair of glasses, or a new well for a village, or a single vaccination etc etc.

Some of these aid agencies and charities really are wasting money on self righteous ego massaging, whilst people die.

Rainforest Foundation UK sent just 2 people to COP22. I should have thought they are actually one of the more appropriate groups to attend, though I suppose no organisation really needed to send more than one representative. In many ways, I have much less of a problem with them than with many attendees - saving rainforests sounds like a good idea to me.

Still, so far as funding is concerned, they're a UK registered charity, so are indirectly supported by the UK taxpayer. There is also more than a little irony in the fact that one of their main concerns is against palm oil production:

"Palm oil production has had devastating effects in South East Asia. With palm oil producers looking to aggressively expand their operations in West and Central Africa, this project aims to raise awareness of the negative impacts and ensure Africa does not experience similar problems."

It doesn't seem to occur to them that palm oil production - destroying rainforests in the process - has taken off so widely because biofuels have been one of the "solutions" to the non-existent problem of CAGW. I don't suppose they were at COP22 to protest about the policy prescriptions emanating from events like COP22...

Equally ironic is this on their website:

"Winner of the 2016 Momentum for Change award. A UNFCCC initiative highlighting some of the most innovative, scalable and replicable examples of climate change action."

It is difficult to find out where their funding comes from, but as pretty much every page on their website has a "donate now" section, perhaps they aren't so lavishly funded by EU, UN etc as some of the attendees. It might explain why they sent only 2 people for a jolly!

Mark Hodgson

"Winner of the 2016 Momentum for Change award. A UNFCCC initiative highlighting some of the most innovative, scalable and replicable examples of climate change action."

Does the UNFCCC win any awards for the most pointless and meaningless awards ever created and awarded?

This confirms that they could not find anything more worthwhile to recognise and reward. Perhaps because no action to cope with nonexistent Climate Change/Global Warming has ever been deemed necessary, anywhere in the world.

Meanwhile people keep dying of lack of food, water, medical aid and reliable power.