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 …

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 …

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 …

What do we do Post-COP 28?: Dissemination and Climate Literacy

by Tristan Durocher ’25 We are now two days removed from COP 28, an exhausting summit extending an extra two days past the prescribed 12 days planned. Being on the other side, I’ve now had time to process, reflect, and understand that the responsibility of being a COP attendee doesn’t end when the plenary is …

Awakening Connections: Embracing the Rights of Nature

By Jasmine Sone Among all the discussions at COP28, the term “Rights of Nature” caught me off guard, a concept foreign to me until that point. My initial feeling was one of confusion. Why is it necessary to advocate for the Rights of Nature in a world where its intrinsic sacredness should be obvious? Defining …

Responsibility at COP28: For Whom, For What?

by Lucy Kramer (Anthropology, ’26) The full U.S. delegation gathered at the final meeting for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement On the day before the final Global Stocktake text came out, the parties were lined up to give their interventions—at 1:00 am, when I left for the metro back to my hotel, there were …

css.php