COP15 Brief -- Day Two: Business Plays BINGO at the Climate Conference

By CSRwire Contributing Writers Bill Baue and Cimbria Badenhausen of Sea Change Media

The US Chamber of Commerce’s controversial position on climate legislation highlights the key role such business intermediaries (or BINGOs in UN-speak – Business and Industry NGOs) play in devising climate policy. Other BINGOs, such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Commission on Environment and Energy, focus on how business and industry can help solve the climate crisis. Recognizing the importance of companies as primary implementers of climate policy, the UN has formalized the process of “interventions” – brief prepared statements that BINGOs such as ICC can deliver on the negotiating floor as input for developing policy at COP15. These interventions come in two flavors: general business and industry interventions, and interventions geared to specific expertise or agenda items. “The BINGO process is extremely interesting and an important piece of the puzzle,” UN Environment Programme Special Adviser on Energy & Climate Claire Boasson told Sea Change Radio Climate Correspondent Cimbria Badenhausen. Indeed, as the distinction between the US and International Chambers of Commerce shows, the influence of BINGOs covers a broad spectrum, from potentially gaming the system to playing a constructive role in achieving an actionable climate agreement. The next two weeks will spell out which direction the scales tip.