Katowice meltdown: Switzerland calls India, Africa Group proposals 'crappy'

Switzerland apologises as tempers frayed between countries gathered in Katowice for talks on tackling climate.

As the climate talks reached a frenetic pace on Wednesday, tempers frayed. In a rather undiplomatic spat at a ministerial-level meeting, Switzerland told India and the Africa Group of Nations that their proposals on climate finance were “crappy”. The intemperate language from the country, part of the Environmental Integrity Group, got both India and the Africa Group of Nations responding to the affront and Switzerland apologising later. 

Through the day, WhatsApp groups of developing country groups were constantly inundated with messages from their diplomats trying to coordinate positions and responses across dozens of rooms that had opened up to minister-level