Holding a high-profile U.N. climate change conference in Qatar, smack in the middle of the region that produces so much of the fossil fuel blamed for global warming, was a gamble. In the end, it displayed the hosts’ drive for a leading place on the world stage and evoked a surprising new regional awareness of the environmental crisis.
The two-week conference that ended Saturday challenged the tight control Qatar and other Gulf nations keep over their societies, and protesters took the brunt of that. It tested the ability of Qatar’s ambitious effort to pilot an unwieldy gathering with divergent ideas to a successful conclusion as an example of its capabilities for future efforts, and the hosts got mixed grades.
In an unexpected bonus, the very presence of the U.N. climate talks in energy-rich Qatar introduced the big-spending Gulf public to the issue of climate change close up for the first time. Dozens of young Arab activists from across the region — most of whom never attended climate talks before — headed home inspired to pressure their governments to do more for the environment.
In a classic culture clash, the conference highlighted some of Qatar’s growing pains as it seeks to expand its global profile.
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