Tony Abbott rubbishes top United Nations secretary on Climate Change

Tony Abbott accuses UN official of ‘talking through her hat’ on climate change (VIDEO) ABC News By chief political editor Emma Griffiths 23 Oct 2013, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has dismissed a UN assessment that the New South Wales fires are linked to climate change, accusing a senior UN official of “talking through her hat”.

Earlier this week, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,Christiana Figueres, said the fires proved the world is “already paying the price of carbon”.

She also criticised the Abbott Government’s direct action plan to tackle climate change as being potentially “much more expensive” than the carbon pricing scheme that it is moving to dump……http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-23/tony-abbott-fires-climate-change-rfs-un/5039932

Christine Milne comments –

Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, has an outstanding record of contribution to protection of the environment, and in particular, climate action.

She is one of the world’s most highly respected negotiators, having represented Costa Rica and the Americas before taking up her global role. I met her at the UNFCCC talks in Durban in 2011, and was impressed not only by her obvious knowledge and professionalism, but by the warmth she brought in her engagement with NGOs and government representatives alike.

For Tony Abbott to not even know who she is in the global climate change negotiation context, and to dismiss her role and expertise in such a cavalier manner, shames Australia and does not auger well for Australia’s engagement in the lead-up to the 2015 global treaty discussions.