Now I know, World Government Leaders aren’t going to use Google Hangouts to have a global meeting (although the transparency has merit), but there has to be a more cost effective method in this tech savvy environment for World Leaders to sit down and have a discussion about environmental world protection, global economics and multinational company tax evasion, surely?

The Positives

Don’t get me wrong, the mass exodus from Brisbane over the weekend has been awesome for tourism in regional cities north & south of the city. Then there has been the Golden Globes like media coverage of So & So’s gown by So & So designer and a blow by blow run down of the menu being served not unlike the coverage of the Royal Wedding. Great for all the gossip magazines and society spotters. Not so great for the areas which make up the main subject of the whole summit.

Financial Impact

It has been reported that the Australian Federal government has funded $370 million dollars to the project, with over $100 million of that utilised just to protect the visiting dignitaries.

How many domestic solar power systems, commercial wind generators or electric car subsidies could that money provide? How many homes or facilities for the homeless could that money pay for? Or what percentage of the pay cuts to our Defence Force workers could that sum of money have subsidised?

Environmental Impact

We should also consider the carbon footprint left by the G20 Summit. At a time when world leaders, including the US President are lecturing the world on carbon emissions; we have world leaders flying all over the globe to meet in Brisbane Australia. Don’t forget (as awesome as they were to see) the military jets and choppers flying overhead all weekend. Then there were the motorcades including secret service and entourages etc etc.

Hypocrisy 

It seems a little hypocritical of the World Leaders to talk shop on issues like Climate Change, economic recovery and taxation fraud while they waste millions of dollars (if you think how much each country contributed to this little event) on such a get together. This meeting process is a symptom of the modern corporate business model. All talk and no action brings no results!

What Next!

You might feel I am being short sighted and if the G20 Summit couldn’t be hosted any other way, I would agree with the expense as the meeting is necessary. However there are far more cost effective ways to conduct business these days.

Next time, how about meeting via a secure online meeting forum. Forget the motorcades, flights, gala evenings, airforce flyovers, city closure and sanctioned searches of local city dwellers. Save millions, possibly billions of dollars and use that budget to actually take some action on the issues you are all discussing.