Poland sacks environment minister in the middle of climate talks

WARSAW: In a surprising move, the Polish government on Wednesday sacked its environment minister Marcin Korolec, who heads the country's delegation at the climate talks here.

Though Korolec will remain the country's representative at the talks, the move has put question marks over Poland’s commitment to the negotiations -- specifically when the sacked minister had assumed the presidency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on the inaugural day of the talks on November 11.

The country's Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters that Korolec, who lost his job in a government reshuffle -- will remain Poland's point-person for the ongoing climate negotiations.

Delegates from other countries appeared puzzled over the move as they believe the decision may weaken Korolec's leadership role while Warsaw is hosting the climate talks involving 195 countries.

Questioning the timing of the reshuffle, one of the delegates said the episode would surely raise suspicion whether the country was really serious about the negotiations under the person who had lost his authority within his government.

It is learnt that Korolac lost his job because he was charged with hampering work on new shale gas projects.