By Megan O’Brien, ’25, Environmental Studies and Havalin Haskell, ’26, Environmental Studies First speakers from hosting countries (From left to right: Mukhtar Babayev, Patricia Espinosa, John Podesta, and Liu Zhenmin) at COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases. When we caught wind of the possibility of garnering tickets to attend the High-Level Summit …
Indigenous Climate Leadership Day in the Shadows of the World Leaders Action Summit
Ashley Entwistle, '26, History-Political Science Paul Irngaut (Vice-President, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc) delivering his keynote speech on Tuesday, November 12. The two-day World Leaders Action Summit commenced on the first Tuesday of COP29, where the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan invited heads of state and governments to engage in bilateral meetings, high-level roundtable discussions, and special …
COP29 Day 1: First Impressions and More
By Megan O’Brien, '25, Environmental Studies If I had to simplify my first day at COP down to one word it would be: whirlwind. I truly was running around all day trying to take in as much as I could. Going forward, I will be approaching this COP with a quality-over-quantity mindset. For my first …
First Impressions in Baku: Ethnic Cleansing, Oil Wealth, and Climate Reckoning at COP29
By Ella Reese-Clauson, '26, International Political Economy We entered the Baku airport at two in the morning local time after a nearly twenty-four hour travel day, amazed by the sloping, modern wooden arches of the terminal. Signs for COP29 in a now-familiar teal color lined the hallway. Our shuttle driver pointed out notable buildings as …
Without Incentives: the Significance of Article 6.8: “Non-Market Approaches”
--Lucy Kramer, ‘26 I met Ghazali Ohorella in the back of the room at a late-night Article 6.8 negotiation. I was observing with Tomohiro Harada, who has been following Indigenous People’s participation at the UNFCCC process for years. He pointed to a man sitting at the other side of the deserted back row: “That’s who …
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Addressing the Twin Crises of Debt and Environmental Sustainability: Lessons from COP28
by Zoraiz Zafar, '24 In the backdrop of the COP28 conference, a pressing issue that emerged was the twin crises of debt and environmental sustainability, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This essay explores the intricate relationship between these crises and proposes a nuanced approach to addressing them, drawing from the rich …
Echoes of Resilience: Indigenous Voices from South and Southeast Asia at COP28
By Jasmine Sone At COP28, I had the opportunity to speak with three extraordinary people: Chandra Tripura, who advocates for the Tripura community in Bangladesh; Pirawan Wongnithisathaporn, who represents the Karen community in Thailand, specifically the Pga K'nyaw; and Shree Kumar Mahajan, who speaks for the Newar community in Nepal. Their stories brought to light …
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Structures that Shape COP28
By: April Kwan The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28), located in the United Arab Emirates this year, was hosted in Expo City Dubai. The space was divided into two distinct zones that provide access to different events, the Blue and Green Zone. Getting access to the Blue Zone required a United Nations …
What is appropriate clothing at the COP?
As you walk into the COP for the first time, it is hard not to be in awe of the thousands of people all representing their different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. One of the aspects that sticks out immediately is the wide array of clothing. Heading into COP 28, my classmates and I were informed …
Dr. Supachai Kid Parchariyanon
By: Connor Johnson Stumbling upon the Thailand Pavilion on the second day of COP 28, I listened to one of the most driven and unique approaches to creating carbon neutrality within the private sector by Dr. Supachai Kid Parchariyanon, or Dr. Kid as he is commonly known. Dr. Kid is currently the CEO and co-founder …
