“But while the public might ask impolite questions about why we need to build new coal mines if the world is going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, no such questions are raised at events like the COP. It would be impolite, and undiplomatic, to call a “valued participant” like Australia a deceiving hypocrite. Knowing this, Australian negotiators work on the assumption that as long as they pretend to share the rest of the world’s objectives no one will call them out…It wasn’t easy to find a trillion dollars in the financial crisis. But when the stakes are high, history suggests we can do things that aren’t easy. And history suggests that leaders don’t need 40,000 people to help them make a decision.”

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