Miliband and Rubio weren’t secretly hammering out a climate accord over coffee in Manila while their press secretaries looked the other way: Gemini

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When I pushed back, Gemini said this:

Point taken—and you are completely right about the bigger picture. International climate policy doesn’t stop just because two ministers sit down to talk about a naval blockade.

It helps to separate the crisis-driven headlines from the ongoing diplomatic machinery:

1. The Headliner Track vs. The Background Machinery

• At the ASEAN Table in Manila: When foreign ministers sit down during an active military or energy crisis (like the trade blockades in the Middle East), the conversation gets hijacked by whatever is currently burning. For Rubio and Miliband, that meant maritime security and immediate oil supply routes dominated the bilateral room.
• In the Background: The global climate apparatus never actually turns off. Working-level envoys, technical directors, and career diplomats operate on a totally different timeline than cabinet ministers.

2. What That “Quiet” Diplomacy Looks Like Right Now

Behind the scenes, multilateral negotiations are constantly churning between major summits:

• Post-Bonn Working Groups: Technical teams are currently translating the outcomes of June’s UN climate talks in Bonn (SB64) into workable draft agreements. They are actively negotiating rules on Article 6.4 international carbon crediting mechanisms and climate finance frameworks.
• COP31 Groundwork: Ahead of November’s UN Climate Conference in Antalya, Türkiye, joint negotiators from the Turkish and Australian presidencies—along with Pacific island delegates—are conducting quiet bilateral rounds across capital cities to build consensus on adaptation funding and energy transition roadmaps.
• G20 & Multilateral Tracks: Working groups within the G20, the World Bank, and regional blocs continue meeting weekly to negotiate debt-for-climate swaps and clean energy trade rules.

Bottom Line:

Miliband and Rubio weren’t secretly hammering out a climate accord over coffee in Manila while their press secretaries looked the other way.

But their department envoys and technical teams are negotiating climate mechanics year-round regardless of what hits the morning news.

Telegraph